


To Prove Them Wrong

by videle



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, BAMF Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Badass Hiccup, F/M, Gen, Pre-How To Train Your Dragon (2010), Pre-How To Train Your Dragon 2, Protective Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon), Stoick the Vast Lives, astrid is kinda a bitch, everyone on berk is basically rood, so much badass hiccup, warrior!hiccup
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-23 02:12:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13777506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/videle/pseuds/videle
Summary: "How far are you willing to go to prove them wrong?" "As far as the Gods will let me." AU with twelve-year-old Hiccup the Useless, who is determined to prove the people of Berk wrong. Even if it means disappearing for six years and returning as a whole new person.





	1. Chapter 1

XXX

CHAPTER ONE – POTENTIAL

To say Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III was different would be an understatement. He was tiny, scrawny, and weak. The other Viking kids were much more. They were strong, tough, and they had POTENTIAL. Hiccup was nothing in their eyes. He was the worthless dirt they walked on. He was the unimportant ant they stomped on. He was the dragon they tortured.

At first, it started as rude whispers and snickering. A six-year-old Hiccup had been jogging down the streets of the village, when he heard quiet laughs and whispers. The auburn-haired boy frowned, pausing to glance around curiously. He was taken aback when he spotted three kids giggling at him. Two were very identical, both blonde with a glint of mischief in their eyes. The third one was a buff Viking with black hair and a Viking helmet with rounded horns.

Hiccup frowned, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Were they laughing at him? Why would they do that? He could tell from their points and snickers that they weren't laughing with him. They were laughing AT him.

The little boy tried it ignore them, before continuing his journey to the forge.

XXX

Next it came the disapproving stares and teasing. Hiccup had always made small mistakes, but this one stood out significantly.

The seven-year-old had been drawing with a charcoal stick in his journal, when suddenly, loud calls and roars rang out. He gasped, instantly knowing what the sounds meant: a dragon raid was taking place.

In the midst of the battle, he was determined to prove himself. He was growing annoyed and hurt by the way the other kids his age looked and laughed at him. He had to do something to show them he wasn't useless… right?

So the gangly boy raced to the forge, dodging and avoiding large men and women. They sent him scolding stares, which absentmindedly caused him to wince. He hated the way they looked at him.

Once he reached the forge, he quickly pushed the door open, and shut it behind him. He saw no one in there, not even Gobber. Gobber was the blacksmith, also Hiccup's mentor and his father's best friend.

He was relieved to see no one in the building. So he quickly searched for a weapon he could lift, only to see they were all ginormous, heavyweight weapons. So he chose the lightest one he could find.

It was an ax, with a slightly worn metal and edge, and a rough handle to grip it by. Hiccup could tell whoever owned it used it quite often, and wondered whose it was. But nonetheless, he pushed the thought aside and lifted it up.

He yelped as the ax caused his arms to drop to the ground, and the weapon crashed into the stone floor. Hiccup gasped horridly as the handle separated from the blade, which rendered the weapon nearly useless.

Ok, now he was definitely in trouble. Whoever owned this ax was going to kill him for destroying it! But there was no way he could fix it. And if he could, he didn't have the time, because someone opened the door to the forge.

The person was a beautiful, blonde-haired girl. She was one of the most POTENTIAL kids of Berk. Everyone spoke of how she would grow to be the best shield maiden in the Hairy Hooligan tribe. Hiccup had no difficulty recognizing her; she was Astrid Hofferson. She didn't laugh with the others at him, but merely stood and glanced at him every now and then, without a single hint of interest.

"Gobber, did you—HEY!" Astrid cried angrily, spotting the scrawny seven-year-old leaning over HER damaged ax. She gasped, before her surprised expression melted into one of pure anger. "How dare you?!" she snarled furiously, rushing forward to kneel down to get her destroyed weapon.

Hiccup stuttered for words, realizing his mistake. This was Astrid's ax, and he had broken it. He had screwed up his chances of proving himself, in less than five minutes.

"I-I—"

"Save it, Useless!" the blonde snapped rudely. She was beyond anger. She was livid. This was her favorite weapon, and had been given to her by her parents.

As Hiccup stood from kneeling on the floor where the ax once was, Astrid knocked him back down by shoving him on the shoulder. The boy yelped with fright, collapsing back onto the hard floor of the forge. Had she really just done that? It was the first time he had ever been physically hurt.

"You're in big trouble!" Astrid growled, storming out of the forge with her broken ax in hand.

Hiccup's bottom lip quivered fearfully as he got back to his feet, staring after the girl. Oh great, what would his father say? More importantly, what would he DO?

Hiccup gulped, slowly trudging out of the building. By now the dragons had already been captured, or had escaped with a few pieces of food.

Hiccup was not too surprised when he saw Astrid pointing at him, while confronting her parents. He sighed sadly, turning to his house. He rushed into the building, ignoring the angry gasps that left the Hofferson's mouths.

Later that evening, he was called down by his father. Believe it or not, his father was Chief of the tribe. His name was Stoick the Vast, a very respected man within the tribe, and the other villages nearby.

Hiccup nervously edged down the stairs, gulping in fear. He was already frightened by the stern expression on his father's face.

"Y-Yes?" he stuttered worriedly.

Stoick sighed, rubbing his temples exasperatedly. "Hiccup, why did you break Astrid's ax?" he asked.

"I-I didn't mean to… I was just…." He trailed off, staring down while fumbling with his hands.

"Hiccup, I'm tired of—" Stoick cut himself off when he noticed his son was just staring at his hands. "Look at me!" he ordered. Hiccup jumped with a startled expression, before turning his gaze to his father's face. He hated the blazing green inferno in his parent's eyes. It was as if the fire was fueled by HIM. It was HIS fault that he was about to be punished.

"I'm tired of you messing around," Stoick continued. Hiccup frowned deeply, hurt gnawing at his insides. "Is it too difficult to not have you messing things up?" he sighed with a frustrated tone.

Hiccup fought back tears, trying to keep himself composed. He had been scolded before, but this time was different. He honestly didn't mean to anger Astrid, her parents, AND his father that easily. He was just trying to help them fight off the dragons! It was just a stupid accident that he broke the ax.

After a moment of silence, Stoick exhaled sharply. "You're sent to your room for three days, alright? No outside world, just in your room. I'll bring you food when you need it," Stoick ground out, trying to keep his temper under control.

"Yes, dad," Hiccup murmured, trudging up the stairs and into his bedroom.

Three days in his room. What could he possibly do cooped up in there for three days? Sure, he could draw and read, but what about anything else?

But that was just the beginning of his torture.

XXX

Next was the verbal abuse. After three days of confinement in his room, Hiccup was allowed back outside. He hated the glares he got. News must have spread about him breaking Astrid's ax. Couldn't she just get another one?

The seven-year-old heard footsteps behind him, causing him to halt. He spun around, but was confused when he saw nothing. The boy frowned with bewilderment, yet he continued on his way.

He heard it again, this time with whispers. As he whirled around, he saw nothing yet again. He huffed, turning back to where he was heading.

He yelped as he crashed into a certain group of kids his age, who must have managed to ambush him. Hiccup found himself falling onto the ground, staring up at the others with wide, innocent green eyes.

"What's up, Useless?" the strongest male of their little gang, Snotlout, asked.

Hiccup's frown reappeared. Useless? Why was he calling him that? "Useless?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Well yeah," Snotlout snickered.

"I-I'm not useless!" Hiccup cried.

"Really?" another male, this time blonde and named Tuffnut, asked mockingly. "Well last I checked, you definitely weren't useful."

"Hey! I'm useful!" the seven-year-old argued.

"For who?" Snotlout snorted, as if this whole situation was amusing. "Yourself?"

"T-That's not true," Hiccup murmured, his voice weakening along with his confidence. These kids had never gone farther than laughing at him behind his back. He felt hurt, being directly called "useless."

"Yeah it is," Ruffnut, Tuffnut's twin sister, piped up.

And then, minor physical abuse.

The harassed boy slowly began getting up from his position on the ground, only to be shoved back down by Astrid. He gulped, not wanting to be the one who witnessed her anger, let alone be the one it was directed at.

"That's for breaking my axe," she snarled. Next, she kicked the boy on his side roughly, earning a pained grunt. "That's for everything else!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Hiccup exclaimed. "I didn't mean to break it! I was—"

"Being useless, that's what," Snotlout spat. "Oh wait, guys!" he cried happily. "I think it's 'bout time we renamed our little outcast here."

"Rename… me?" Hiccup stammered nervously.

"Duh!" Ruffnut huffed.

"What to? Hiccup fits for him," Tuffnut snickered.

"But useless also fits," Snotlout smirked. Turning back to the boy still on the ground, he continued, "Alright. Your new title is officially Hiccup the Useless!"

"W-What?" the green-eyed boy stuttered with a broken expression.

"Yeah, Hiccup the Useless!" Ruffnut laughed. "Fits him pretty well."

"No! My name isn't Hiccup the Useless!" he cried defiantly.

"It is now," Snotlout snapped.

Hiccup quickly got to his feet, ditching his trip to the forge and racing back home. He heard the laughter behind him as he fled, but felt he was not prepared to cry yet. Instead, he waited until he got home.

Once he reached the house, he swung the front door open, and slammed it shut. He panted heavily, before storming up to his bedroom. Finally, he reached his destination. He sobbed pitifully, collapsing onto his bed. He stuffed his face into his pillow, which muffled his cries. No one heard him. And if they had, he doubted they would care.

XXX

Lastly came trying to prove himself, and hiding.

A ten-year-old Hiccup was being harassed more often now. He found himself trying everything he could to avoid Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut. It was mainly those three, but Astrid would occasionally join in. Fishlegs just stood off to the side, awkwardly watching.

Hiccup hid in the forge, with the doors shut tightly, and the windows closed. It was excruciatingly hot, but he was determined to protect himself from the outside world.

A smart person would have taken their shirt off, just to keep themselves cooler. Hiccup, however, was too scared. What if they saw him shirtless? He was weak and scrawny, with protruding ribs and collarbones.

So instead, he forced himself to endure the heat. He couldn't bear the thought of them picking on him even more.

Hiccup hid himself in the forge nearly all day, every day. He often fell asleep in his back room, which was his own little closed room that contained his invention plans, drawings, and a few personal belongings.

But on the fifth day of hiding in the forge, it got too hot. He was handling more weapons than usual, but kept his baggy clothes on anyways. He sighed, wiping away more beads of sweat. If he kept this up, he'd surely run out of sweat.

Finally, his body gave in to the heat. He dropped the sword he was using against a grinder, and collapsed with a loud thud. He moaned softly, but he then went silent after that. He didn't want to draw attention to himself. After all, they would just judge him more.

XXX

Gobber had discovered Hiccup passed out in the forge. He spotted an unfinished sword lying on the stone floor, but was even more surprised to see the boy had passed out right next to it. Gobber wiped away the sweat already gathering on his forehead, with the heat unbearable.

The blacksmith quickly set the sword back onto the counter, and picked Hiccup up. He carried the boy to the back room, which was Hiccup's. It was much, much cooler in there, especially with the window open.

After cooling off, Hiccup awoke with a startled gasp. He found himself in a familiar setting, and relaxed. When Gobber entered the room, he immediately tensed up. He knew that if someone found him, they'd ask questions. Looks like he'd have to lie.

"Lad, wha' happened to ya'?" Gobber asked worriedly, taking a seat beside Hiccup.

"I-I'm not sure," Hiccup lied. "It just got too hot, and I was out like a light. Sorry, Gobber."

"Are ya' sure? You've been in here quite a lot. Wha' is it?" Gobber asked with concern evident.

'At least one person cares,' Hiccup thought. "I'm sure. I've just… had a lot of invention ideas. And I figured I should help out the village more with sharpening weapons and stuff."

Gobber narrowed his eyes, before nodding. "A'ight, just get some fresh air once it gets too hot."

"Sure thing," Hiccup murmured. Gobber left the room, leaving Hiccup to sigh sadly and wonder what other people's lives were like.

XXX

Hiccup was twelve now. He celebrated his birthday with Gobber, and lied about Stoick giving him a present. He just said the man had given him a cake, and left it at that. He just hoped Gobber wouldn't bombard him with more questions about it.

It was a week after he turned twelve. He heard excited shouts, and found himself peeking out of the thick window. He frowned curiously, before setting down his current project and nervously leaving the building.

He gulped once he spotted his tormentors running by, before continuing to see what was going on.

He hid from place to place, blending in with the other Berkians. He was too small to be sighted that well anyways.

Hiccup was surprised to see a familiar ship docked at the shores of Berk. It was Trader Johann's ship. He was a traveler, who traded with many tribes with goods and money. He was also a very good storyteller, minus all the exaggeration.

Hiccup squeezed through the crowd, earning a few angry scowls. He tried to ignore them, but it was difficult. After all, they were Vikings. They were very intimidating.

Finally, Hiccup could see the ship clearly. He watched in awe as the man hopped off his large boat, shaking several villagers' hands, and greeting them happily. Hiccup wondered what it was like to be… liked, or favored.

Suddenly, a new man hopped off the ship. He was muscular and strong, but was not as ginormous as the typical Viking. He had more of a "lean but mean" look. His face was scarred, along his right eyebrow, his chin, and under his left eye. He didn't wear much armor, but his clothes still looked a bit foreign.

"Ah, so this is Berk!" the man laughed heartily, in a strong and deep voice. Hiccup tilted his head, and felt intrigued by the man.

"Yes, yes," Johann replied. "Berkians, this is Vali. He is well known among the archipelago as a noble fighter and warrior."

'Fighter? Warrior?' Hiccup thought with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

A few curious murmurs rang out. Obviously a couple people had heard about him.

"Yes, I am here to gain a new apprentice," he grinned, earning a few cheers and volunteers. "Hold on, hold on," Vali laughed. "This time, I'm looking for something in particular… it must be a young Berkian, under fifteen years of age." A few people groaned disappointedly. "They must be determined, trustworthy… they have to have the heart of a leader, and the soul of a fighter. They've got to have POTENTIAL."

'Me!' Hiccup thought eagerly. 'Please, let it be me!'

Snotlout, who was at the front of the crowd, snorted gloatingly. "It's so going to be me," he whispered to Astrid, who glared at him. She obviously hated him.

"If you'd like to apply to be my apprentice, just meet me at the Great Hall. We've already talked to Stoick for his permission."

Hiccup sighed quietly, shutting his eyes in disappointment. He couldn't go be seen trying to apply for this apprenticeship. If he tried, he'd only get picked on more and more. He couldn't bear the thought of that. But he wanted to prove himself! He wanted to become a warrior, a fighter, a… leader. He wanted to prove them WRONG. He had POTENTIAL.

The boy sighed quietly, before backing out of the dispersing crowd. He heard Snotlout and Tuffnut boasting to the others, saying how they'd totally get picked.

Hiccup trudged back to the forge. He quietly entered the heated building, and began returning to his project.

'Gods,' he prayed. 'Let it be me!'

XXX

Hiccup inhaled deeply, before breathing out through his nostrils.

In a spurt of confidence, he was now standing outside the Great Hall, a few hours after Vali and Trader Johann had arrived. Hiccup peeked through the cracks in the two doors, surprised to see only two people left in line. It was Snotlout and Astrid.

Snotlout seemed to be begging Vali to take him as his apprentice, boasting about how strong he was, and how he was fit to be a warrior. Astrid however, sighed irritably, looking angered and annoyed. She had her arms crossed, obviously waiting for Snotlout to get out of line so she could have her turn.

Hiccup breathed deeply once more, before finally entering the building. Astrid noticed him entering, and immediately scowled. Snotlout, however, was too busy listing off things he had accomplished.

Vali sighed, rolling his eyes. "Look, Snotbout, is it?"

"Snotlout!" he corrected.

"Snotlout, right. You'll be considered, now I'm so kindly asking you to leave," Vali ordered calmly.

Snotlout huffed in protest, but as Vali got to his feet from the chair he sat at, Snotlout whimpered. "O-Ok… but… c'mon! I'm PERFECT for this!"

"Leave, Snotlout," Vali commanded.

The black-haired boy grumbled to himself, but took notice of Hiccup. He snickered at the sight of the scrawny boy.

"Good luck getting in, Useless!" he snarled mockingly.

Hiccup just cast his gaze away from the muscular boy, avoiding his stare. Vali noticed the insult, and Hiccup's reaction. He felt his eyes narrow curiously.

Astrid stepped forward, while Hiccup got in the empty line. She nodded respectfully to the warrior, before grabbing her battle axe.

It was then Hiccup noticed the targets lined against the walls. He gulped nervously, obviously not liking the idea of trying to fight. 'You made this decision, didn't you?' he thought to himself. 'Do you want to prove them wrong or what?'

He was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Vali speak. "Alright, Astrid. Go ahead and give a shot at the targets."

The blonde nodded, turning to face the left wall. She didn't even hesitate to launch her axe at the nearest target, which landed directly on the bullseye. Hiccup gulped in fear. How could he possibly be chosen over her?

Astrid hit all of the targets, either on the exact bullseye, or beside it. Vali scribbled something down on some paper, and then nodded to the Viking girl.

"Alright, Astrid Hofferson. Thank you for volunteering. I'll get back to you shortly," Vali murmured peacefully. Astrid blinked in shock, as if she expected to be chosen right away. Finally, she nodded and tugged her axe from the last target she struck.

As Astrid left, Hiccup hesitantly stepped forward. He dipped his head to the fighter, and let Vali ask the stereotypical questions.

"You're small, aren't 'cha?" Vali queried, as if it weren't obvious. Hiccup just nodded numbly.

"Alright, let's do the set of questions. Full name?"

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III."

The intimidating man nodded, his charcoal stick moving quickly as he wrote. "Firstly, what is your weapon of choice?"

Hiccup gulped, already knowing what to say. He just didn't feel like saying it. "Er, when I do fight, I use my dagger."

Vali blinked in surprise, before scribbling down on his paper. "Alright, second question. Do you think you have the heart of a leader?"

Hiccup thought about it for a split second, but his mouth moved on its own accord. "Yes. If I had more confidence, I could lead."

The scarred man's charcoal stick moved quickly, before he asked, "Do you think you have the soul of a fighter?"

Hiccup couldn't stop himself from blurting out his response. "I know I do. I've been fighting bullies and harassment for years."

The corners of Vali's lips twitched up slightly, just enough for Hiccup to notice. Was that a good sign? "Do you have any hobbies, specialties…?"

"I work in the forge, and I draw often. My mentor is Gobber the Belch, the blacksmith here."

"And can you imagine yourself as a warrior?"

"No." Hiccup answered. This startled Vali, before Hiccup continued. "That's what I'm willing to change. I WANT to change. I know I'm capable if I just… try. If I'm given a chance."

Vali smirked, obviously proud of his answer. Hiccup felt his anxiety slowly diminish.

The man stood from his chair, walking around the table to face Hiccup. Said boy stood firm, knowing this was his one chance. His one chance to change everything. To prove himself, to show who he really was, to MAKE something of himself. He had POTENTIAL.

Leaning down, Vali looked very intimidating. Hiccup faltered slightly, but held his ground.

"And why do you want this apprenticeship?"

"Because…." Hiccup hesitated, and then knew what he had to say. "I want to prove them wrong. My bullies, this village, the ones who discriminate me. I want to prove them all wrong, to show them who I really am. I want to have a REAL chance to do something good. Something… great. Not just a screw up anymore, but a HERO."

Vali narrowed his eyes leaning even closer to the boy. "How far are you willing to go to prove them wrong?" he asked with a steely voice.

"As far as the gods will let me," Hiccup murmured.

The man was beyond satisfied with the boy's answer. He stood back to his full height, nodding approvingly to him.

"Good… 'cause it's you."

Hiccup's heart skipped a few beats. "Me?" he asked.

"Yes, you. You're the one. Welcome to apprenticeship, kid," Vali smiled.

Hiccup couldn't help the large smile that broke out on his face. He laughed joyously, for the first time in forever. "T-Thank you… You have no idea how much this means to me!" he cried happily.

"Then prove it to me. Show me your real strength, not just emotional. You are capable, Hiccup Haddock. You have POTENTIAL."

XXX


	2. Chapter 2

XXX

CHAPTER TWO – RELIEVED

Yesterday was the best day of Hiccup's life. It was him. He was chosen to be trained by a warrior, who would help him prove everyone wrong. He was RELIEVED to be achieving his one goal.

No one knew he had been chosen. Hiccup was waiting for Vali to announce it. And yet, he was still slightly scared of everyone's reactions. Snotlout was sure to harass him for getting picked over him. But he was a warrior's apprentice now. He had to start acting like one.

Yesterday, Vali had tried to test what Hiccup could do. They threw a few daggers, but Hiccup had a weak throw. However, Vali DID notice Hiccup had incredible accuracy. Perhaps if he was stronger, he could be a magnificent fighter. The man said they would have plenty of time to train him. When Hiccup had asked how long this apprenticeship would last, Vali simply shrugged and replied, "As long as it takes."

Although Berk had never been kind to him, Hiccup would miss this place. The only person who was kind to him was Gobber, and he was the only one. His father didn't care, nor did the other kids his age. His mother was taken and most likely eaten by a dragon, so he had just about no one. Until now.

Hiccup fell asleep with a content grin on his face last night. He sighed happily, curling up in the comforting furs and blankets shielding him from the cold.

The twelve-year-old awoke to someone rapping on his door. Hiccup grunted, wiping his eyes tiredly. He slowly got up, heading for the entrance to his room. His father never really came up here, so who could it be?

A familiar man stood in the doorway, smiling with an amused expression. Hiccup must have looked like a wreck, since he had been so rudely awoken.

"V-Vali," Hiccup stuttered nervously. "Er, let me just… get ready, and I'll meet you downstairs."

"Alright, Hiccup," Vali nodded, heading back down the stairs with such agility and stealth. It almost made Hiccup wonder how the guy was human.

Hiccup pulled on his boots, his green tunic, leggings, and his fur vest. He lazily ran a hand through his hair, and then headed downstairs. Compared to his mentor's ease with traveling down the stairs, he was terrible. Feet clambering, misplaced, and awkward.

"Ah, Vali!" Stoick boomed, entering the house as Hiccup reached the kitchen. Stoick merely nodded in Hiccup's direction, but gave no other signs of acknowledgement to the boy's presence. Vali took a mental note of this, but nonetheless greeted the large Viking man.

"Hello, Stoick," the smaller man smiled.

"I assumed you would be at the Great Hall already, because of the apprenticeship. But, I guess we could talk here for a moment—"

"Actually, sir," Vali interrupted, flicking his gaze over to Hiccup. "I'm here to discuss something about my chosen apprentice."

Stoick's eyebrows shot up. "You've already decided?" he queried.

"Of course," the warrior shrugged.

The man slowly sat up from his position at the kitchen table, nodding in the chief's way, and then turning to Hiccup. He walked smoothly to the boy, who avoided his father's gaze.

"You see, I need someone different…." Vali mysteriously placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder, smiling reassuringly at the young Berkian. "Someone… worth it. Someone who needs a second chance."

Stoick's eyebrows lowered, furrowing in confusion. He glanced between the two males, frowning in thought. "Ya don't mean—"

"Yes, Chief," Vali murmured respectfully. "Your son, Hiccup, has been chosen as my new apprentice."

"W-Wha—why—how…." The ginger-haired man stammered.

Stoick couldn't bear the thought of his only child leaving for who knows how long. Sure, the boy was clumsy, destructive, and, dare he say it, a menace, he loved him. He couldn't let his last piece of family be ripped away from him like this.

"No," the bearded man declined strongly.

"With all respect, sir… Hiccup here has potential. He just needs a chance. He has a weak throw, is a clumsy boy, and overall sucks at strength—"

"Hey!" Hiccup exclaimed with a hurt expression.

"—BUT, he is different from all the other Vikings. He thinks, he's intelligent, he's thorough, he's great at accuracy, and he's determined. Stoick, I am asking for Hiccup to be my apprentice because I am placing such faith in him that no one has before."

"But—"

"Or do you doubt me?" Vali asked intimidatingly. Even a man like Stoick knew of the tales about the warrior. "Why would I waste my time with someone who I didn't have faith in? Hmm? Or perhaps I should leave him here to rot while he is ridiculed by his peers."

Stoick hesitated, eyes wandering back to Hiccup, who also looked shocked. The auburn-haired boy was beaming with pride, thankful that for once someone was standing up for him. And to his stubborn father no less.

The Berk leader sighed in defeat. It was then Hiccup's heart started beating again, and he released a breath he didn't know he was holding hostage. Hiccup and Vali knew they had won the dispute.

"How long will he be gone?" Stoick asked.

Vali smirked in triumph, before nodding gratefully to the father of Hiccup. "Three years at the most."

Hiccup gulped, but the action went unnoticed. Three years?! Of training with one of the fiercest warriors in the archipelago?

Stoick frowned, eyes narrowing. He obviously didn't like the idea of his boy being gone for three years, with some hotshot warrior too. But it was then he saw the determination in Hiccup's eyes. They forest-green sparked with hope, looking at his father pleadingly.

"Fine, fine," he mumbled. Hiccup's face broke out into a broad grin, while Vali dipped his head kindly.

"Thank you, sir. It will be an honor to train Hiccup."

"However!" Stoick barked. "If he is gone for more than three years, without any contact to us, I WILL see that you are punished."

"Yes, sir!" Vali saluted.

Stoick's eyes narrowed one more time, before he sighed and nodded. "Alright. Vali, go prepare for your announcement. Hiccup… I want to talk to you for a moment."

Vali cast a glance to Hiccup, before smiling gratefully to the chief one last time. He then exited the Haddock household, heating straight for the Great Hall.

Meanwhile, Hiccup stared at the floor, nearly petrified with fear. He felt Stoick step closer to him, and unintentionally screwed his eyes shut. His father noticed, but continued pressing forward.

"Hiccup," his father murmured in his usual strong, confident voice. "I want you to try as hard as you can, alright? I'm… shocked. I-I never thought you'd grow up to be Vali's apprentice. But if it gets too difficult, you are welcome to return here."

Hiccup smiled, lifting his head to meet Stoick's gaze. "Thanks… Dad."

Stoick nodded, with a gentle smile. "And you better contact me every month, at the minimum, a'ight?"

"I will," his son replied more confidently.

"Great. Now go to the Great Hall and wait for Vali's announcement. You just have to wait for him to announce your name, go up on the little stage at the back, and agree to all of Vali's terms and agreements."

"Terms? Agreements?" Hiccup asked, eyes curious.

Stoick nodded. "Aye. Every time Vali gains a new apprentice, he always asks them three important questions. Do you have the heart of a leader, and do you have the soul of a fighter? The last one is more important. He will ask you to agree to give it your all, and to… be a true warrior. Which means… fighting, sacrificing, and defending."

Hiccup could tell by his father's hesitance that he doubted Hiccup's future. It stung a little, just knowing his only parent was unconvinced he'd be able to fend for himself. But he was over it. He was going to prove them wrong. He would return, RELIEVED of his cruel past.

"Got it," Hiccup finally responded.

"Good. I'll meet'cha there, son."

Son. That one word make his whole world brighter, and he felt a tiny smile creep onto his face. He couldn't remember the last time his father had called him "son" with such sincerity.

He ducked out of the house, jogging to the Great Hall. There was already a large crowd gathering, and Hiccup was struggling to push through the ginormous men and women. They glared and scowled at him angrily as he shoved them aside, but he didn't care. This was HIS moment. HIS time to be RELIEVED.

Hiccup managed to make it to the second row, but had trouble staring through the tall forms towering over him. He nearly groaned in frustration, and just hoped when his name was called that he would be able to make it to the stage without making a fool of himself.

"Citizens of Berk!" Vali exclaimed loudly, making sure the crowd could hear him. The other kids around Hiccup's age hung off to the far left side of the front row, watching intently. Astrid and Snotlout were sure they'd get picked.

"Yesterday, I announced I would be taking one of your youngsters into an apprenticeship. I know it has been less than twenty-four hours, but I knew who I had chosen from the moment I spotted this particular kid. They are smart, thoughtful, and determined."

The crowd held their breath, waiting anxiously for who would be chosen.

"My new apprentice is…."

Astrid clenched her fists tightly, staring at Vali with wide, hopeful eyes. Snotlout had his eyes narrowed, and his body was rigid. He was almost desperate enough to pray to the Gods. Tuffnut and Ruffnut exchanged glances, crossing their fingers.

"…Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III!"

Mouths hung open, jaws hitting the floor. A chorus of gasps and shocked whispers rang out, making Hiccup gulp. He inhaled deeply, before pushing through the crowd and making his way to the stage.

Snotlout stared at his puny cousin in shock, jaw slack. Suddenly, his surprise melted into anger, grinding his teeth together and clenching his fists even tighter.

Astrid was just as angry, but maybe even more so. She was gripping her axe with both hands, her grasp so strong she almost thought she would snap the thick wooden handle in half.

Hiccup cautiously stepped up onto the stage, trying to avoid everyone's stares. He saw Vali smile at him, and hold a hand out. Hiccup smiled back, and shook the man's hand. He had a firm grip, but Hiccup knew he wasn't even trying to be strong.

"WHAT?!" Astrid and Snotlout shouted angrily. Vali shot a venomous glare their way, which shut them up.

When the fighter's gaze returned to Hiccup, he nodded and released his hand. Vali turned to the audience, nodding with a chuckle.

"Yes, Hiccup Haddock is my new apprentice. He will be training with me on my island for approximately three years."

Suddenly, the crowd went into a frenzy. Disapproving shouts were heard, along with rude murmurs and insults. Hiccup tried his best to ignore them, but still felt a pang of hurt to his heart. You would think that after twelve years of discrimination that he'd still be used to it, right? Wrong. No matter what they said, it still stung.

"SHUT UP!" Vali screamed, causing the Vikings to go silent.

Turning back to the boy on the stage, he nodded slowly. Vali whispered to him, "Kneel." The boy instantly obeyed, going down on one knee.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III," Vali began, making everyone gulp and gasp. They knew the ceremony was taking place.

Was he serious? Was he really going to take this fishbone as his apprentice?

"Do you have the heart of a leader?"

Hiccup inhaled, before he stunned everyone with a steely voice. "Yes," he responded calmly.

"Do you have the soul of a fighter?"

"Yes."

Vali nodded with a knowing grin, before reaching forward to roll up Hiccup's sleeves. The boy remained kneeling, letting the man show his thin arms.

"His skin is not scarred, not worn with pride and memories of battle. By the time he sees battle, he will have the markings of a true warrior. No scar is too small or large. Every one of them holds a tale," Vali spoke loudly, so that the audience in the Great Hall could hear.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III," he repeated, "Are you willing to give up your past? To take in your new life as a battler?"

Said boy thought for a split second, before responding in his same strong voice. "Yes."

"Are you willing to scar your body, to face battle head-on?"

It wasn't like he didn't have that many scars, but he still knew he was willing to sacrifice his body for this. "Yes."

Vali's voice grew stronger with every word he spoke. "Do you, young man, promise to never give in? When the blood is falling, the tears are shed, and the pain is unbearable. Do you vow to continue the fight, to prove yourself as a hero?"

The Vikings in the building held their breath. They expected the scrawny boy to whimper and back out of the ceremony, but instead, he shocked them all.

"Yes."

Vali smirked. "From this moment on," he called, turning to face the crowd. "This boy will be turned into a man, a warrior! He will be RELIEVED from this past and thrust into a new era of greatness. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III is now Novice Hiccup Haddock, the new apprentice of Vali Garderrson. In the timespan of three years, you will be shocked to see this boy transformed into a new person."

Vali paused. "The Hiccup Haddock that leaves by the end of this week, will not be the same one that returns in three years."

The ceremony came to an end as Vali turned back to the kneeling boy. "Novice Hiccup Haddock, you may stand. When you stand to your two feet, you are agreeing to everything you have promised."

Hiccup breathed deeply, shutting his eyes. He let the confidence overcome him, to consume his body with power and determination.

After a couple seconds, his eyes flashed open, and he slowly stood from the stage. No cheers rang out, not that he expected any to.

His forest-green eyes turned to Vali, who nodded approvingly. Hiccup returned the nod solemnly. He was ready to prove himself, to be RELIEVED of this cruel life on Berk.

XXX

By the end of the week, Hiccup managed to avoid his tormentors. He stayed by Vali's side, making sure Snotlout, Astrid, and the twins wouldn't be able to attack him.

Unfortunately, Hiccup's luck didn't last. Vali was called to help arrange his ship to sail off, leaving Hiccup to himself. The boy found himself sneaking off to the forge, hoping to hide in the heated building. The gang, however, had different plans.

They spotted the new apprentice heading quickly to the forge, and chased after him.

Just as Hiccup made it to the doors, he was yanked back by his vest. He yelped, whirling around to see Snotlout and the others. He nearly groaned in frustration.

"Hey, Useless," Snotlout greeted mockingly. "Heard 'bout your little promotion."

Tuffnut snickered. "Why would Vali pick a fishbone over us?! He's… nothing!" Ruffnut nodded in agreement, Snotlout smirked, while Astrid's eyes just bore into Hiccup's with an intense edge of anger and bitterness.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes, remembering his ceremony with Vali. He was going to be a warrior. No more "Hiccup the Useless" because now, he was Novice Hiccup Haddock.

"Let's make a deal, Useless," Snotlout murmured, leaning closer to Hiccup's face while holding him by the collar of his green tunic. "You give up your apprenticeship to Vali, give it to one of us, and we won't pummel you to death."

"No."

Hiccup's voice was cold and harsh, with his forest-green eyes ablaze. He stared right into Snotlout's hardened gaze, who immediately grew angrier.

"What did you say?" he seethed.

"I said no."

"Fine… deal's off," Snotlout spat, pulling his fist back.

Hiccup waited for the impact as he shut his eyes, but didn't feel a thing. He peeked one eyelid open, and then the other. He was surprised to see Vali towering over Snotlout and the others, looking intimidating and casting a shadow over their trembling forms.

"Do you know what you've done?!" Vali snarled venomously. "You have just tried to harm my new apprentice. Touch him one more time, I DARE YOU. Because if you do, I may as well torture you all and call for a war because you all were trying to break a peace treaty between Berk and my island and troops."

"Y-You can't do that!" Astrid murmured shakily. "Hiccup is a Berkian, so he would be staying here if we went to war."

"Look, blondie," Vali snapped, causing the axe girl to reel back in fear. "Hiccup is now Novice Hiccup Haddock. He is one of my soldiers now. That means that within the next three years, he is not considered a full Berkian."

Hiccup watched in awe as the first person to ever save him had arrived. He was being rescued, by a famous warrior too! Against his tormentors!

"Now go."

The gang didn't spare a moment's hesitation. They scrambled to their feet, kicking up a few grains of dirt, and fled in the opposite direction. Hiccup sighed in relief, his heart still beating loudly.

"T-Thanks," the boy stuttered.

Vali returned his attention to Hiccup, nodding. "It's fine, Novice Haddock. I can't let one of my new apprentices be harmed, now can I?"

Hiccup grinned happily, following his mentor as he led the way to the Haddock house. They were preparing to load up for their trip to Vali's island, and he was growing anxious. Would he be accepted by his fellow troops? Would be survive the training? Would he even make it through a month?

But one thing's for sure. He was RELIEVED to be getting out of this place.

XXX


	3. Chapter 3

XXX

CHAPTER THREE – TOUGH

Hiccup couldn't help the broad grin that spread across his face. He was walking with more pride, bouncing in his steps with excitement. Today was the day. The day he would leave Berk, train, and become a real warrior, and a real man. He just hoped he would make it through.

The boy carried his lightweight bag, seeing as Vali said he wouldn't need much. The bag mostly consisted of a few clothes, sketchbooks, charcoal sticks, and some personal belongings. Most of the personal things were items his mother had given him.

Twelve-years-old and he was already preparing to be trained by Vali Garderrson, one of the most respected battler among the archipelago. He just hoped he would be able to survive.

It would be TOUGH making it through, that's for sure. Even though Vali had been nothing but kind to him, he knew that the man would be a strict teacher. After all, how else were you supposed to learn from such a fighter?

Hiccup reached the docks, ignoring the stares he got on the way there. He was greeted by a newcomer, who stood beside Vali. It was a man a couple inches shorter than Vali himself, but he was more muscular on his arms and torso. He wore a short-sleeved tunic, and Hiccup could already make out several scars.

"Hey, is this the little rascal you were talkin' about?" the stranger chuckled warmly. Hiccup immediately felt as ease with this guy's kind behavior.

"Yes, soldier," Vali smiled at his Novice. "This is Novice Hiccup Haddock, my new apprentice. Novice Hiccup, this is one of my second-in-commands, soldier Olvir Hidein."

Hiccup smiled politely, shaking the man's hand. "It's nice to meet you… sir," Hiccup greeted kindly, wondering if that was the right thing to say.

Olvir chuckled approvingly. "Well, the kid's got respect. Alright, rascal—eh, hem, Novice Hiccup—we're going to be leaving in a few minutes. Want us to give you a tour of the ship?"

The auburn-haired boy nodded. "Thanks," he murmured.

Olvir smiled, leading the way to the ship. Vali, meanwhile, stayed behind to help load a few bags back onto the ship.

Hiccup followed this man—or, his fellow soldier—through the ship, taking in all the details. It was a large ship, but not big enough to be for war. Hiccup knew there was an underground layer, and a few rooms on the deck by the stern.

"My room shall be the one on the deck, while yours will be one under the deck. I'll go ahead and show you to it," Olvir explained nicely. "Oh, and let me get your bag."

Hiccup watched in awe as the warrior effortlessly swung the bag over his shoulder, literally as if it were a feather. The boy knew it wasn't that heavy, since he could carry it too, but the way he moved was graceful and elegant.

He snapped out of his stupor and followed after the man. They headed down a flight of stairs, where there was a hallway that fanned off to several rooms.

"Your bedroom is this one," Olvir explained, leading to a dark wooden door that was at the very end of the hallway.

His tour guide swung open the door, and set Hiccup's bag onto the floor beside a small bed. Hiccup, meanwhile entered and curiously glanced around. There was a nightstand, a bed, a table with a couple chairs, and a small window to see out of the ship. It wasn't much, but he loved it already.

"Thank you," Hiccup nodded to Olvir.

"No problem. The Guardian troops are reliable to each other," Olvir dipped his head respectfully, before heading out of the room. "Now c'mon, little Novice, are you hungry?"

Hiccup couldn't help the little laugh that escaped. It made him sound like a dog, or a pet, with the way Olvir worded it.

The man led him back towards the stairs, but stopped at a new door. He swung it open, and stepped into it. The room was twice as large as Hiccup's, and he could see most of it was taken up by a large table. There was a smaller table resting against the wall, where Hiccup assumed they laid food out.

"Go ahead and take a seat," Olvir murmured, heading back out the dining room's door. "I'm going to go get the others for breakfast."

Hiccup nodded, taking a seat at the large table, nearby the door. He watched curiously as the male left the room, leaving Hiccup to his thoughts.

XXX

Vali sighed as he checked over the list of things to pack onto the ship. He had already checked everything off, but he was being thorough. He didn't feel like making a second trip.

As the warrior was getting a canteen of water, he heard about four or five pairs of footsteps approaching him. He calmly turned, both angered and surprised to see his Novice's tormentors in front of him.

One was a blonde-haired girl, long in length but dull in color. He believed her name was Ruffnut, and the boy identical to her was her twin brother, Tuffnut. Then there was that infuriating Jorgenson, named Snotlout. He was bulky and muscular, while wearing his typical Viking helmet. Lastly was another blonde girl, but she had much more vivid and lively hair. She was fantastic with the axe, and overall combat. However, her anger was unbearable and was sure to get her killed in battle. He knew her as Astrid.

"Need something?" Vali asked in a low voice.

Snotlout hesitated, shifting his weight to his right side. "Yeah," he finally spoke up. "We just wanna know why you chose U—Hiccup over us."

Vali quirked one eyebrow, while his eyes flicked over the four kids. They all looked curious, hurt, and definitely angered. He could feel his patience running thin.

"Why I chose him is not of your concern," Vali replied simply.

"Actually, it is," the Hofferson girl chipped in, arms crossed. "We volunteered, we took time out of our day, and auditioned for your apprenticeship. We're simply asking why you chose Hiccup instead of one of us."

The man's eyes narrowed in anger, his grip on his canteen tightening. He wasn't in the mood for this. Couldn't they see how unique Hiccup was? Or were they all too daft?

Vali finally sighed irritably, shaking his head. He sipped his water before he explained. "I chose Novice Hiccup because he is not one of you. He is different. He's reliable, loyal, intelligent, thorough, determined, and overall TOUGH even though none of you can admit it," the warrior snapped, biting back an insult. He hated when anyone insulted one of his recruits, let alone a new tortured soul.

"But warriors are… strong! And cool! Ya know, like us!" Snotlout protested.

Vali sighed, rolling his dark brown eyes. He refilled his canteen with water, and then ambled away from the gang.

"Hey! We're trying to talk to you!" Tuffnut called.

"And I'm trying to ignore you!" Vali snapped back over his shoulder.

He heard their whispers as he stalked off.

"Why would be choose Useless? He's… well, useless! He's not worth ANYTHING to ANYONE!" the buff boy, Snotlout, growled.

Vali halted in his steps, turning his head to look at the four kids. They glanced up at the man, gulping nervously. "Uh, I think he heard you," Ruffnut muttered to Snotlout.

The armored man snarled furiously, pivoting on his foot and storming up to the harassers.

"Let's get one thing straight," he snarled, getting into all of their faces. When one of them backed up, he just stepped closer. "When you speak about my apprentice, you speak with respect! Got it? Because he is a whole lot TOUGHER than all of you combined. And if one of you so much as stare at him in a hurtful way, I will not hesitate to give a live demonstration of all that I've learned in my years of battle. Are we clear?"

Snotlout whimpered quietly, almost making a smirk cross Vali's face. Astrid stared with wide eyes, while the twins nervously exchanged glances.

"Are we CLEAR?" Vali repeated urgently.

"Y-Yes, sir," Astrid muttered.

Vali grumbled under his breath, turning back to his original path. As he was walking off, he paused and told them, "And his body may seem clear of scars, but not all of them are noticeable, nor are they physical."

And with that, he stormed away.

XXX

After a few minutes of Hiccup sitting in the dining room awkwardly, the door opened to reveal Vali and Olvir. Vali looked as if he was cooling down from something, like he had just gotten in an argument. Olvir looked calm as ever, though, and took a seat beside Hiccup. Vali took a seat on the other side of Hiccup.

"Since we're not great with cooking, we've got two chefs on the ship," Olvir explained.

"Only two?" Hiccup questioned.

"Yes, sir," Vali murmured, spreading out the eating utensils. "There's actually not many people on this ship. Just us three, the chefs, and a few of the guards and ship crew."

Hiccup nodded in understanding. "Alright… when are we leaving?"

"After breakfast," Olvir replied.

The boy nodded, but then spotted two people entering the dining room. One was a tall, buff woman. She wasn't quite as large as a Viking woman, but she was still a bit big. The second was a man actually a few inches shorter than the female, with a small mustache and pale skin.

They both carried trays of food, setting them down on the table gently. The two chefs glanced up at Hiccup, and nodded with a smile.

"Novice Hiccup, this is Chef Belega," Olvir introduced, pointing to the woman. "And Chef Torro." He then gestured to the short man.

"Nice to meet you both," Hiccup greeted.

"Aw, he's a cutie!" Belega giggled. "Nice to meet you too, little Novice. Can't wait to see how you adjust to life as a warrior."

Hiccup blushed and thanked her quietly.

Torro just nodded his way with a small smile, and they both fled the room to fetch more trays of food.

"Chef Torro prefers not to talk," Olvir explained. Hiccup nodded, a little "oh" leaving his lips.

Suddenly, three more people entered the dining room, just as the two chefs had left.

"Oh, and this is Soldier Finrad Gordon," Olvir continued, pointing to a man who was just a tad bit smaller than a Viking. He had auburn hair, with a small beard growing. He looked intimidating, but nonetheless waved at Hiccup.

"That's Soldier Aragon, who prefers to keep his surname a secret," Vali explained for Olvir, who was beginning to pick out some food from the plates. Argon was a black-haired man with gray eyes. He was about Vali's size, but a few inches shorter and his arms were not as buff. The soldier sent a smile Hiccup's way, and then took a seat across the table.

"And that's Olvir's apprentice, Novice Slayjin. He's about to be promoted, since he's nearly finished with his Novice training," Vali waved to a boy who must have been no more than fourteen years of age. He had blonde hair, and had muscular arms and legs, along with a large torso and broad shoulders. Hiccup couldn't help but think that he reminded him of Snotlout.

"Hey, new guy," Slayjin greeted warmly, taking a seat directly across from Hiccup. Said twelve-year-old was taken aback by his kind behavior. Snotlout was nothing like that.

"Hi," Hiccup spoke to them all.

Hiccup awkwardly gathered a few pieces of food, before slowly devouring it. Vali glanced over at him, nudging is shoulder.

"Eat some more, Hiccup," he urged. "You're gonna be working your ass off tomorrow."

The auburn-haired boy frowned, not fond of the profanity. But he hesitantly placed some more food on his plate, and began eating it. Once he finished that, though, Vali took a huge hunk of meat and tossed it onto his plate. Hiccup nearly groaned, but realized this was absolutely nothing compared to what he would have to bear at training. It would be TOUGH.

After Hiccup finished up his rather large meal—or large compared to what he usually eats—he found himself following Vali, Olvir, and Novice Slayjin out of dining room and up to the deck. He was led off the ship, where many people were already gathering for him to leave. They would probably throw a party once he was gone.

"Hiccup!" someone called. The Viking boy whirled around to see his father heading his way.

"Yes?" Hiccup questioned, stepping towards the man.

Stoick stopped in front of his son, placing a meaty hand on his shoulder. "Hiccup… I hope you do well," he murmured gingerly. He wasn't used to being so affectionate. "Just try your best, son. Be the man you've always wanted to be."

Hiccup smiled broadly at his father's words. He would try, alright. Sure, it'd be TOUGH, but he was definitely willing to give it his all.

"I will, dad," he assured the Chief.

"Good, good…." He trailed off awkwardly. Neither of them were great at this father-son relationship.

"I'll… see you in three years," Hiccup murmured.

"Yeah, you too. You better send me letters, though," Stoick replied, removing his hand from his son's small shoulder.

"Of course," Hiccup confirmed.

Stoick cleared his throat, before holding out a strong hand. Hiccup placed his little hand in his father's as they shook hands.

"Bye, dad," Hiccup called, pulling away from the bulky man. Stoick nodded, waving at the twelve-year-old.

Hiccup inhaled slowly, before pivoting on his foot and turning to face the ship. He exhaled as he began walking away from his father, his village, his home. It would be TOUGH saying goodbye. Because even though he felt like everyone looked at him like a nuisance, he would miss them.

But once he boarded the ship, he didn't look back. He didn't want to see their happy faces, or be reminded of just how much he was hated. They wouldn't miss him, but he was determined to prove them wrong.

XXX

Hiccup entered his temporary room, collapsing onto his bed. The ship rocked with the waves soothingly, which only increased his exhaustion. It was an hour until nighttime, and he was already tired. He was somehow worn out from all of the talking, introductions, and eating. His stomach was so full from all the food he was urged to eat.

The boy curled up in the sheets, sighing in content. He tossed himself to the side, turning to face the window. Every now and then the water would go over the window, so Hiccup could see shades of blue and green. It was very relaxing, and with a smile, he drifted off into a deep slumber.

Hiccup must have slept in, because when he awoke, it was to a pounding at his door. He grunted, slowing opening his eyes. His vision took a moment to adjust, and he was surprised by the darkness in his room. Where was he again?

Oh yeah. He was Vali's apprentice now, and they were heading for the army's island. But why was the room so dark if there was a window?

Hiccup frowned, glancing over to the window, only to see the sun was barely rising. It was just the beginning of dawn.

"Rise and shine, Novice Hiccup!" he heard Vali call through the door. "We've got a long day ahead of us!"

Hiccup sighed quietly, before forcing himself out of bed. He ran a hand through his messy hair, and pulled his boots on. He would have checked the mirror, but Vali kept knocking on the door.

"I'm coming," he called.

The boy hurried out the door, where Vali was leaning against the wall. The man didn't look the slightest bit tired, which made Hiccup worried. Would he have to wake up this early every day for the next three years?

He yawned, stretching his arms above his head as he tried to rid himself of all the fatigue. Vali chuckled, patting the boy on the shoulder.

"C'mon, you'll get used to it," he laughed heartily. Hiccup let a small smile grace his face, before following the man down the hallway.

He was led to a new room nearby the stairs, with a thick door. "Here is where we keep most of our belongings when we're sailing. Here, we'll get you some clothes," Vali explained, using a key to unlock the door.

Hiccup watched with interest as he entered the room. There were several chests, which he assumed were full of belongings and money. He glanced around, taking in all the details.

Finally, Vali picked out an outfit that was closest to Hiccup's size. He handed the clothes to the boy, and led him back to his room. Hiccup nodded obediently, and began dressing in the new clothes.

He was surprised at what Vali had chosen for him. There were black pants, a new pair of socks to go with his gray boots, a white short-sleeved tunic that was only a little baggy, and a pair of black gloves. When Hiccup touched the gloves, he figured they were great for using to climb and grip things.

He hastily got dressed, not wanting to keep his mentor waiting. The freckled boy left the room after tying the laces on his gray boots, and spotted Vali talking with Olvir.

They turned once they heard him close the door, and both smiled in approval.

"Nice choice," Olvir commented.

"Thank you," Vali snickered. "After all, it was me who chose the clothes."

Turning back to Hiccup, Vali ambled over and placed both hands on his shoulders. "We're gonna be arriving in a few minutes. C'mon, we better get ready to leave."

Hiccup nodded, going back to grab the bag out of his room. He lugged the bag over his shoulder, and stumbled out of the room.

He decided not to question how they reached their destination so quickly. He just assumed it would take longer, but perhaps they had a secret island closer than he anticipated?

Hiccup followed after the two warriors up the flight of stairs, and to the deck. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, and Hiccup could spot an island in the distance. He saw what looked like a jungle, and was curious as to how they could train in such an environment.

But his question was answered once they docked. Vali slung Hiccup's bag over his shoulder without a sliver of effort, and began leading the way into the thick jungle.

The boy frowned, pushing away large leaves bigger than his head, and ducking under several branches. But once they passed by a ginormous section of trees, that were placed so closely together it was difficult to fit through, he discovered just why they chose this island.

The outer layer of the land must have been a shield, because Hiccup could now see acres of clear space. There were several buildings near the very back of the ginormous clearing, whereas there were obstacle courses scattered across the land.

Men and women trained everywhere. He watched in awe as one man did a backflip, and then ducked under a woman's arm. They must have been sparring, because they continued dodging and attacking one another with nothing but their bare hands.

As Vali led the way deeper into the clearing, Hiccup's amazement only grew dramatically. He watched as two warriors raced, sprinting faster than he had ever seen anyone run. Then there were dummies in a corner, where a woman effortlessly lodged several daggers and axes in their targeted hearts.

"Wow," Hiccup breathed in shock. He turned as he heard a few shouts. He was surprised to see two men, who were polar opposites, sparring. One was huge, almost the size of Gobber. The other was just a bit taller and more muscular than Hiccup himself, and yet, he watched in utter amazement as the little one managed to flip the big guy right onto his back.

"Ya like it?" Vali asked, grinning knowingly.

"I… don't have the words," Hiccup murmured, gaze wandering across the people who trained.

"Well I do," Vali chuckled, patting Hiccup's back.

"Novice Hiccup, welcome to your new home."

XXX


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE GUARDIANS ARMY RANKS (listed in order from most power, to least power):
> 
> Commander (Ultimate leader) – Vali Garderrson
> 
> Lieutenants (second-in-commands) – Olvir Hidein & Sola Maste
> 
> Medics (healers) – unimportant characters
> 
> Warriors (great fighters) – Lojjir Cryde & Dodger Cryde & many, many more
> 
> Cadets (approved for their strengths, waiting to become a warrior) – Slayjin Colladin & more
> 
> Novices (very beginning stage, first-time trainee) – Hiccup Haddock & more

XXX

CHAPTER FOUR – DETERMINED

Vali led the way to the dorms, where Hiccup was to be staying for three years. As they continued ambling through the training area, the Novice's interest only increased. His eyes seemed to flicker around everywhere, taking in every single detail. He hadn't even realized they had reached the dorms.

Hiccup snapped out of his daze as the front entrance to the dorms creaked and opened.

"There's a few other buildings for where the others stay," Vali began explaining. "In a room, you'll be staying with five other male soldiers. Oh, and don't worry, Slayjin is one of them. He'll keep ya out of trouble."

Hiccup let a little amused smile cross his face, nodding understandingly. "When do we start training?" he asked curiously.

Vali glanced over his shoulder at the boy with a smirk. "Today," he answered.

Hiccup was led into the building, shutting the door quietly behind him. They traveled up a flight of stairs, to the second floor. There were two long hallways, which led to the dorms. Vali led to the hallway on the right, and strolled down about halfway. He halted at a darkly-colored wooden door, which had the number 127 engraved into the material.

"Your dorm is 127," Vali murmured, unlocking the door with a key. They ambled into the dorm room, where there were six beds laid out, three on each side. "Your bed is the one closest to the window, on the right," he added.

Hiccup nodded, inspecting the room curiously. He headed towards his bed, and let Vali hand him his bag. He set the bag on the covers of the mattress, while peeking out the window. It gave a clear view of part of the humongous clearing, where you could see that same woman lodging knives into dummies' targeted hearts.

"Alright, now we're gonna head to the gymnasium and test out some of your abilities," Vali spoke up, waving him over.

Hiccup subconsciously gulped, but nonetheless followed after his mentor. He was nervous about the physical activity he would have to go through. But he was the one to commit to this. He couldn't keep being Hiccup the Useless.

They left the building and headed to a new one, which was a bit bigger than the dorm vicinity. Hiccup was, once again, shocked when he stepped into the ginormous building.

There were parkour and obstacle courses everywhere. Whether it be tall boards to jump over, thin posts to balance on, or nets to climb up, it was there. In the left corner, there were several targets, along with a large rack of weapons. His eyes wandered over every inch of the gymnasium, an awed gleam lighting up the dark green.

"Wow," he breathed.

Vali chuckled. "Nice, right?" he laughed. "Alright, let's get started on your strengths and weaknesses."

"Alright."

The pair strolled over to the targets, and Vali handed a light dagger to Hiccup. "Try aiming at one of the targets."

Vali knew Hiccup was fantastic with accuracy, but his strength was not as great. They would have to work on that.

Hiccup squinted one eye, holding the dagger up. He lined it with the bullseye, and reeled his arm back. When the arm lunged forward, the dagger flew across the air and landed on the target. Hiccup was stunned to see the blade lodge itself in the bullseye.

However, the dagger than fell from the target. Hiccup hadn't thrown it hard enough.

"Nice," Vali shrugged. "We'll have to work on your strength. The only reason that knife fell was because your throw is weak."

Vali then walked over to pick up the knife, and hung it back onto the weapon rack. "Alright, let's try a different weapon. Close your eyes."

Hiccup didn't bother objecting. He was just thankful his teacher had even decided to train him. So he shut his eyes, and held both gloved hands out.

He was surprised when he felt a cool, smooth metal against his fingertips. Judging by the handle, he could tell the weapon was long. It wasn't too heavy, but it still held a slight difficulty for Hiccup to hold it up.

"Alright, open your eyes."

Hiccup's eyes fluttered open, and he glanced down to inspect the weapon placed into his hands.

It was a spear, with a long handle. The blade was very sharp and pointed, and grew thicker as it neared the handle. There were two small blades sticking out from under the spear head, which could easily cut through flesh.

"Try throwing it," Vali ordered.

The boy nodded, shifting the weapon in his hands. He then held it in his right hand, and held his arm back once more. He inhaled deeply, and then exhaled at the same moment he launched it forward.

The spear flew through the air, whizzing past and striking the destined target a few inches from the bullseye. Hiccup frowned in disappointment, ashamed of himself. He thought he could do better than that.

Hiccup sighed in embarrassment, and went to retrieve the spear. As he was pulling it out, he barely took notice that he was using his left hand. When he strolled back to his original position, he uncomfortably switched it to his right hand, which did not seem to suit him.

Vali took notice of this. "Wait, try your left hand," he spoke up, eyes laid on the boy's small fingers. The boy was confused to why it would matter, but nonetheless switched the staff to his other hand. It felt much more comfortable.

"Which hand do you write and draw with?" Vali asked.

"My left..." Hiccup trailed off. "You mean I'll be better at using a weapon with my left hand?"

"Exactly. Try throwing the spear again."

Hiccup paused for a moment, breathing in deeply. He clutched the spear in his left hand, and pulled his arm back. Next thing he knew, it was whizzing through the air and just a centimeter from the bullseye.

The twelve-year-old gaped at the sight. He had just hit the bullseye! Or, well, not exactly. But it was still extremely close. And this time, the spear hadn't fallen from the target!

Vali smiled proudly. "See? Comfort can save lives in battles."

The warrior moved forward gracefully, yet quickly. He strode towards the target, plucking the spear from the bullseye with a simple index finger and thumb. The man smirked at Hiccup, before deciding to show off some of his moves.

The Commander effortlessly swung the spear around, flipping it between his fingers. It flew through the air, before getting caught by another hand. Hiccup could only stare in utter amazement as he displayed just a few things he had learned.

Vali then abruptly kicked off the ground, doing a backflip and pretending to stab an imaginary person to his left. Then he flipped the spear around, and "stabbed" a person on his right. Before Hiccup knew it, Vali's feet were off the ground again. He was doing yet another flip, though this time sideways. His feet pretended to kick at nonexistent opponents.

Suddenly, Vali was back to the ground of the Gymnasium. He tossed the spear up, and grasped it by the edge of the long handle. Then, he swung it around, as if decapitating several men. And finally, the warrior hoisted the spear up above his head, while lowering himself to the floor. His left leg stretched out almost completely, while his right foot pivoted. He spun in a circle, low to the floor, with his left leg outstretched. Had there been any enemies, they would have had their feet knocked out from under them.

At last, Vali stood back up, and handed the spear back to Hiccup. He then clapped his hands together, rubbing imaginary dust from his fingers.

"And soon enough," the mentor grinned happily, "you'll be able to do all that—and more."

Hiccup's jaw was nearly on the floor. His eyes were wide and bright, obviously thrilled to witness the most astonishing moves he had ever seen. Finally, he blinked, and shut his mouth.

"R-Really?" he asked hopefully. "I could do all THAT?"

Vali laughed. "Of course… but only if you work hard enough for it."

The Novice immediately nodded, agreeing to the challenge. "I won't let you down, Vali," Hiccup grinned. 'The time for Hiccup the Useless is over.'

XXX

The pair continued working on Hiccup's strengths. After experimenting with a few weapons, Vali decided to test his agility, stamina, and speed. In order to do this, he brought Hiccup to the center of the monstrous clearing, and smirked at his apprentice's face once he told him what he was to do.

"You want me to WHAT?" Hiccup exclaimed.

"I want you to run five laps around this whole clearing," Vali repeated with an amused expression on his face.

"The whole thing?" Hiccup gulped.

Turning serious for a moment, Vali reminded him about his promise by saying, "Remember what you promised me, Novice Haddock." If he wasn't stern, the boy would never be able to morph into the soldier he truly wanted to be.

Hiccup sighed, nodding. He agreed to this, all of it, the moment he introduced himself to Vali. If he didn't want to deal with all this, why would he have volunteered in the first place? And did he really want to waste his mentor's time? He had already traveled from this island, to Berk, and back with a new, wimpy apprentice. He had faith in Hiccup when no one else would.

So he was DETERMINED to prove himself.

"Alright," the auburn-haired boy murmured.

Vali smiled. "Great. Just go at your own pace."

Hiccup sighed in relief, before turning to the edge of the clearing and beginning to jog slowly around the rim of the clearing. Vali rolled his eyes at how slowly he was moving. Despite all the kindness he had shown before, he was DETERMINED to build this boy into a man.

"Pick it up, Haddock!" Vali shouted abruptly.

Hiccup quickly replied, "Hey! I thought you said I could go at my own pace?"

"I did," the warrior shot back. "You get to CHOOSE what your pace is. Now pick it up!"

Hiccup was stunned by how abruptly his mentor's demeanor had changed. Nonetheless, he began to pick up his pace. His feet lightly hit the ground, back and forth, as he jogged quicker than before. He still wasn't going nearly as fast as he could, in Vali's eyes, though.

The Novice gasped as a figure was effortlessly jogging BACKWARDS in front of him. It was Vali, with a stern look on his face. The Commander had a determined fire in his eyes, and Hiccup realized Vali wasn't just being rude; he wanted what was best for the both of them.

"Come on, Novice!" Vali laughed. His breath wasn't even hitched! "You can do better than that, can't ya?"

The twelve-year-old grumbled under his breath, before finally making a decision. He was going to pick it up, and he was going to sprint for as long as he could. Until he couldn't stand. Because that's what warriors did; they sacrificed everything to become the hero they wanted to be.

Hiccup grunted, before pumping his legs harder. He was suddenly breathing through his nose, urging himself to go faster. His lungs inflated with air, over and over, as he began surging across the edge of the clearing. In the background, he heard Vali shout, "That's it!" and "Faster, Haddock!"

Before he knew it, he was halfway around the first lap. He never noticed that he had begun breathing through his mouth instead of his nose. His lungs burned, like a fiery inferno, while his legs ached. It was a windy day too, which caused his eyes to water and his lungs to clench painfully at the cold. As though the frost was invading his insides, and chilling him to the bone.

Hiccup was wheezing now. He had just finished the first lap, and had long since dropped his pace back to a medium jog. His unhealthy breathing patterns were disturbing to anyone who heard them, and Hiccup felt embarrassed by how "unfit" he was.

Vali suddenly appeared by Hiccup's side, while the boy had halted and was leaning over. His hands were on his knees, while his back was hunched. He was struggling to breathe.

"Here," Vali explained, "stand up straight. It'll help your lungs take in more air."

Hiccup was about to argue, but nonetheless stood back up. He grunted at the exhaustion fighting back at him, but continued leaning back until his back was straight. He was surprised, though, once he was able to take larger intakes of air. Though the wind was still breezing through him, it wasn't as bad as it was while sprinting. It still gave a chill through his lungs, though.

"You did a decent job, Novice Haddock," Vali smirked.

"W-what?" Hiccup panted. "I—barely—did a lap!"

Vali snickered. "Yeah, you did. I've never seen an amateur Novice do more than half of one, though."

Hiccup halfheartedly glared at his teacher, who in return just laughed heartily.

"Alright, ya thirsty?" The Novice quickly nodded. "Follow me then."

XXX

Once the day was finished, Hiccup was ready to collapse on his feet for the fourth time. He was still panting from the work Vali had made him do by swimming in the river on the island, weak from the running, tired from the miserable hand-to-hand combat, and his muscles ached from all of the above.

Vali chuckled at Hiccup's exhaustion. "Don't worry, it gets much easier," he encouraged.

The Novice just nodded, still battling his fatigue. Eventually they reached the dorms, where there were several torches lighting the walls and doors.

"Alright, sleep well, Novice Haddock," Vali smiled as they approached Hiccup's dorm.

"Trust me, I will," he snorted.

The Commander gave a little laugh, then patted the boy's shoulder. He ambled off with his usual feather-light steps, and vanished down the stairs, leaving Hiccup to stare at the door to his new room.

Inhaling deeply, he finally creaked the door open. He blinked in surprise when he spotted two males asleep on the left side of the room, and one all-too-familiar boy sitting on his bed with a candle lighting his side of the room.

Slayjin didn't even look up, or open his eyes, as he murmured quietly, "Come on in, Novice Haddock."

Hiccup was actually about to ask how he knew it was him, but realized it would be a stupid question. After all, who else came in this dorm, besides the residents themselves?

The twelve-year-old awkwardly headed to his bed, which was on the right side of the room and near the window. Outside, he could see a few tall towers, where a couple watchmen were in each one. He couldn't help but be interested by the glasses they used to see afar.

"So, how was training with Commander Vali?" Slayjin asked, finally opening his eyes and glancing over to Hiccup.

The boy in question returned his gaze to his roommate's, and hesitantly replied, "Tiring. And hard work."

Surprisingly, Slayjin just gave a breathy laugh. Hiccup couldn't help but feel slightly more comfortable at the kind tone in his words when he spoke. "Of course it was. I remember my first day here… nearly passed out."

Hiccup snorted at the thought. Slayjin, this muscular blond guy who was trained by the toughest warriors out there, passing out? That didn't sound right.

Suddenly, he couldn't help but wonder…. "Will I ever be in a fight?" Hiccup asked gingerly. "Like, would I ever go to battle?"

Slayjin frowned, sensing his concern. He scooted over in his bed, turning so he was more comfortable under his sheets. Finally, he responded, "Maybe. Almost all apprentices do, once they become a high enough rank. But… Commander Vali's already lost one of his apprentices in battle before. He doesn't like to risk peoples' lives, so he usually pushes each and every fighter to his or her top notch."

Hiccup frowned, recalling how hard Vali had pushed him today. Had he really lost an apprentice before? What was it like? Would he actually go to battle?

"I've been in a battle," Slayjin continued. Hiccup instantly perked up. "Wasn't intended, though. We were under attack by a bunch of dragons. Had to get every soldier we could to fend them off."

The Novice remembered all the dragon raids he had witnessed on Berk. How many dragons would it take to challenge the whole Guardian Army? He shuddered at the thought of thousands of dragons wreaking havoc on this prestigious group of warriors.

Slayjin gave a quiet chuckle. "One of them singed my hair. Got teased by a couple others, but Olvir always said it made me look like a true warrior."

Hiccup smiled a little.

"But Novices just about never go to a real battle. You've got to be a Cadet or higher, and even then, the Commander's got to know you won't be seriously injured or killed."

Hiccup laid back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Would HE go to battle some day? Would he die a soldier's death? What if he never got to return to Berk? What if his father never knew what happened to him, or how hard Hiccup was attempting to prove himself?

The boy sighed quietly, and vaguely heard Slayjin finish his story. "Anyways, don't worry 'bout it. By the time you're in battle…." He snorted. "I can see it. You'll be one hell of a fighter. Some of us are extremely scared of going to war. Others… they're anticipating it, willing to prove themselves."

And as Hiccup fell asleep, he heard one last thing.

"Which are you gonna be?"

'I'll do it. I'll show them all.'

XXX


	5. Chapter 5

XXX

CHAPTER FIVE – STRANGE

Two weeks.

Two weeks of waking up at dawn, warming up with stretches, swimming and running until you were ready to pass out, and lifting heavy objects to where your muscles ached.

But Vali was right; it was getting easier. Hiccup felt proud of himself about how he was able to adjust so quickly. Slayjin even said how he was always meant to do this, but no one believed in him. Until Vali, of course.

Hiccup wanted to ask more about Vali's lost apprentice, but never got the chance. Slayjin always seemed busy finishing up his training to become a Cadet, and was always exhausted from training. Hiccup couldn't blame him though. He'd seen those weights he lifted, those flips he did, and those laps he completed around the island. No wonder he was out like a light once he entered their dorm room.

Something was off, though. Hiccup didn't know what, nor did he know why, but he felt STRANGE that morning. Like an eerie feeling was bothering him. As though something terribly wrong was about to happen.

And it did. Perhaps saying "terribly wrong" was an overestimate, but it was not a good thing.

"Dammit!" Hiccup perked up at Slayjin's voice. They were in the cafeteria, munching on their lunch. Slayjin, however, was clenching his fists and muttering under his breath in a fit of anger.

"What's up?" Hiccup asked worriedly.

"Olvir's what's up!" the fourteen-year-old growled. Hiccup blinked in surprise; Slayjin just about never said anyone's name without their position before it. Usually he spoke Olvir's name with Lieutenant Olvir or Lieutenant Hidein.

"What'd he do?" the Novice queried curiously.

Slayjin sighed exasperatedly. "I KNOW mentors are supposed to be tough on their apprentices, but he's just pushing me over the edge! This morning, he woke me up extra early, right?" Hiccup nodded. "Well, then he kept pushing me to sprint around the island, which I had done the night before. So I disagreed and told him my legs were too weak. You know what he said?"

Hiccup stared expectantly.

"He said I'd never be good enough if I couldn't keep pushing myself!" Slayjin snarled furiously. "Who does he think he is? I've been working my butt off since I first came here!"

The auburn-haired boy sitting next to him frowned in thought. Olvir said that? That didn't sound right. He was usually so warm and kind. Maybe he was also under some stress?

"He's probably just trying to push you hard enough so that you can finally get that Cadet position you want," Hiccup encouraged. "It's worth it, right?"

Slayjin just grumbled, before standing up and tossing his leftover food in the trash. "Yeah, it is. But I didn't sign up for him to spew a bunch of hypocritical lies. I'm gonna go prove myself."

Forest green eyes followed after his form as he stomped out of the cafeteria, leaving Hiccup sitting alone at their table.

XXX

Slayjin murmured quiet things to himself as he kicked a spare rock from the path he was walking. He was ambling through the jungle, reminiscing over his thoughts. Was he being too harsh? Was he exaggerating his mentor's actions?

It was almost dark by the time he began turning and heading back to camp. He sighed loudly, shaking his head in frustration. But he instantly froze when he heard rustling leaves.

He blinked, silently and slowly placing a hand on his trouser pockets, and preparing to whip out his small sword. He glanced around in anticipation, waiting for whatever creature it was to show itself. If it was hostile, surely it would have attacked already?

After a few seconds, he heard wingbeats. Wingbeats? No, these weren't birds or vultures. They were louder, stronger, more vibrant. They were DRAGON wingbeats.

Slayjin instantly whipped out his bola, which he had begun carrying around ever since the dragon raid that had taken place approximately a year ago. He whirled around, reaching his arm back and preparing to throw the contraption at whatever type of dragon it was.

He saw nothing though. He blinked in confusion, but the wingbeats were still audible. As he was turning to his left, he gasped quietly. There was a pair of emerald green eyes, just barely visible in the darkness around him. Slayjin gulped fearfully, but then remembered what he had been so determined to do; to prove himself to his teacher.

Suddenly, the beast began flying higher into the air. Slayjin immediately jumped into action, by retaliating his arm back, and preparing to launch the bola—

The black dragon—he assumed it was black because it wasn't visible in the darkness—began flying off, at a very high speed as well. The experienced Novice growled, before continuing to raise his arm back, and throw the bola. If the bola could just reach far enough, and if it would be fast enough to hit the dragon—

ROAAAAR!

Slayjin gasped as he snapped back to reality. He had barely noticed when he had thrown the bola into the air. The angry and pained shriek that came from the dragon, though, had instantly reminded him of his dire situation.

A relieved smile came to his face. He did it! He actually brought a dragon down, one that was barely visible, hidden, and FAST.

But where could it have gone?

His relief was ruined once he realized the bad news; the dragon had managed to fly off a while away, thanks to it already gaining speed before Slayjin had hit it.

The apprentice quickly headed off towards his camp, knowing it would be much safer if he were to go search for the beast with other soldiers.

And he never bothered to think that someone else might find the beast first.

XXX

Hiccup sighed as he continued his morning jog around the island. Two weeks, and Vali had already trusted him to do at least one lap by himself. That man was extremely faithful to Hiccup, and he was grateful for that.

The Novice had woken up earlier than usual. He had fallen asleep before Slayjin had even returned to their dorm. In fact, he never even noticed Slayjin in their dorm until the morning when he awoke. Perhaps he really was out trying to prove himself to Olvir?

The scrawny boy—well, not as scrawny as he was two weeks ago—continued jogging around the island, hiding himself in the pathway in the jungle greenery. He preferred to do his laps where no one could see him; concealed by the bushes and trees. He felt pretty insecure when others watched him work.

Hiccup paused for a break, panting heavily. He glanced around, relieved to see he was nearby the river. He slowly headed towards it, unbuckling his bottle from his trousers and scooping up some water. He sighed in relief as he gulped down a drink, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

THUD.

The boy shot up, instantly expecting the worst. When nothing happened, he began turning back to the river. Perhaps it was just a spare branch falling from a tree? Or a bird knocking things from a tree? But the noise sounded loud and heavy, like something large crashing into the ground.

THUD.

Hiccup blinked, quickly screwing the lid back on his bottle and re-buckling it to his trousers. He gulped, shakily checking the inside of his shirt for his knife. He felt much more confident when he found it was still there.

The Novice followed after the source of the noise, frowning in confusion when he spotted two boulders. Light peeked through them, though, and he assumed it was the entrance to some sort of valley.

And he was right… kind of. It was more of a cove. He smiled softly at such a relaxing sight. Birds lazily fluttered their wings above the cove, while fish tossed themselves through the air from the pond. Leaves blew gently with the breeze, and there was no dangerous animal to be in sight.

He cautiously stepped down the rocks, eventually reaching the ground of the cove. He stared up at the gaping opening that revealed the sky, and winced with the sun's light beginning to move higher into the atmosphere.

An eerie feeling crawled up his spine, and he blinked in surprise. He felt as though he was being WATCHED. It was a STRANGE feeling, but by the hairs raising from his neck, and the very little breathing sounds coming from behind him, he knew he wasn't just being paranoid.

Hiccup slowly turned, gasping when he spotted a foreign black figure crouched on a boulder. He had no clue what kind of creature it was. Yes, it was definitely a dragon. But certainly not one he had heard of or seen before. It had menacing, yet intelligent, emerald-green eyes, and glossy black scales. Bat-like wings were folded by its sides, and it had a streamlined figure.

"Heh—heh," Hiccup whispered nervously. "Nice dragon…."

The unfamiliar breed of dragon suddenly crept forward, claws scratching against the stone of the boulder as it descended. Hiccup gulped in fright, petrified with fear, as it approached him.

But its pupils were growing. It almost look like an adorable cat, or some other innocent creature. But it was a dragon! A vicious, killing machine, fire-breathing dragon! And an unknown one at that. Who knew what kind of things it was capable of!

Hiccup slowly began backing away as it stepped closer and closer to him. But before he knew it he was being cornered to yet another large rock.

"Uh… nice dragon?" he tried again.

It narrowed its eyes, staring at something on Hiccups side. He frowned in confusion, wondering why it was suddenly appearing much more hostile than before. Then he realized it; his dagger.

Did he really want to give away his only line of defense? Something about this creature—it looked so… STRANGE. It seemed so STRANGE. It had yet to attack him, and was focusing instead on approaching him calmly. It actually appeared to be curious.

Before he knew what he was doing, Hiccup had pulled the dagger from the inside of his shirt. The unrecognizable dragon instantly snarled, but stopped once the boy dropped it to the ground. Yet when the dragon didn't lighten up on his threatening pose, he gulped and tossed the dagger into the pond.

After its eyes followed the blade, it then returned its gaze to Hiccup. Its intimidating compose fell, and it sat back on its haunches and flicked an ear, staring at the Novice curiously.

Hiccup blinked in shock. It looked… cute. How was that possible? It could be skinning him alive right now!

But it wasn't.

Then, he decided to test a method. He cautiously lowered his hand into a small bag clipped onto his belt, hesitating when the reptile began growling again. He decided to take it slow, and show the beast he meant no harm.

He gradually picked out a piece of food; salmon. It was cooked, though, seeing as humans didn't take well to raw fish. Hiccup nervously picked out the largest piece of salmon he could feel in the bag, and slowly brought his hand back out. The dragon sniffed the air, surprised to spot and scent the piece of food.

It hadn't been able to hunt for itself. Not that Hiccup knew that, of course. Ever since it had been shot down by Slayjin, it found it was unable to catch anything. No birds, no fish, no prey whatsoever.

Hiccup carefully held the slice of salmon out in his palm, praying to Odin that the beast wouldn't bite his hand off. What was he even doing? This thing could kill him! It could have burnt him to a crisp, or gnaw on his bones, or—

But it HADN'T.

Why was it acting so STRANGE? Dragons were vicious, merciless, and cruel. So why not attack him?

Suddenly, the dragon snatched the salmon from his palm, and gulped it down in a single bite. Hiccup was left staring at its face in shock. It STILL hadn't made a move to harm him.

Picking another piece of salmon from his bag, he held it out once more. The creature leaned forward, opening his mouth to reveal nothing more than pink gums.

"Toothless?" Hiccup wondered aloud. "Huh. Could've sworn you had—"

On cue, sharp and hazardous teeth shot out from the gums, and latched onto the slice of salmon. It quickly downed it, and returned its gaze to Hiccup.

"—teeth."

The dragon prowled forward again, backing Hiccup even farther into the boulder. When the Novice tried continuing to back up, he accidentally tripped and slid down the side of the boulder, to where he was sitting. Then what he had just done crashed down on him. He had been feeding a dragon! An unfamiliar one, whom he had no idea what it was capable of, and it hadn't done a single thing to hurt him.

The black-scaled creature's eyes suddenly rolled into the back of its head. Hiccup cringed in disgust at the regurgitating noise emitting from the dragon, and shut his eyes in discomfort. Suddenly, he felt something wet and slimy fall into his lap, and heard the dragon stop trying to vomit.

Peeking his eyes open, he found there was a slice of salmon in his lap—half of the slice he had just fed the dragon.

Hiccup awkwardly cleared his throat, glancing between the dragon and the pond. But once the dragon gestured to the gross piece of salmon, the twelve-year-old knew what it wanted him to do.

He was on a breakthrough! What if dragons weren't all they thought they were? What if they were just—misunderstood?

Hiccup reluctantly held the fish up to his mouth, and clamped a miniscule bite with his teeth. He immediately felt like puking at the horrible taste and smell, but nonetheless swallowed it. Sure, it tried making a reappearance, but eventually, he got it down his throat.

He shuddered, obviously regretting what he had done. He had just eaten part of a fish—one that a foreign dragon had regurgitated for him.

Hiccup glanced back up, to see the dragon still staring at him, as though waiting for him to say that he enjoyed it. Sighing, the boy gave a lopsided grin, though it was difficult to rid the terrible taste in his mouth.

His whole world shifted around him when the dragon smiled back at him.

The "beast" narrowed its eyes at the grin, and slowly began lifting its mouth up. It revealed toothless gums, and it almost looked normal. Like it was making peace with Hiccup.

The awestruck boy attempted to reach his hand out, but once he did, the dragon's very first smile vanished and it fled to the other side of the cove. Hiccup couldn't help but notice how it struggled to fly.

His eyes turned to slits as he stared at the dragon intently. Why couldn't it have just flown away when he first got here? Why didn't it just fly away NOW?

He spotted something peculiar at that moment. Its tail was mismatched, with one tailfin and the left one missing. It was gone, as though it had been torn away or stolen.

Maybe it was a birth defect? But then how would it have survived this long?

A forgotten rope got his eyes. A torn up bola lied in the corner of the cove, where Hiccup's eyes stared at it in comprehension. Had the dragon been shot down? If so, how did it escape the bola?

"Someone shot you down," Hiccup whispered quietly. "That's why you can't fly…."

'Remember, Hiccup,' he could hear Gobber's voice telling him during a dragon raid. 'When it's your turn to fight on the battlefield, just know; a downed dragon, is a DEAD dragon.'

Hiccup snapped back to reality, wondering what had gotten him out of his daze. Beside the cove, his eyes followed a thick tree branch, which was linked to a large tree—where a certain unfamiliar black reptile was hanging.

The boy couldn't help but smile. Was that how dragons slept? Or was it just blocking out the sunlight with its wings?

Despite growing bored, Hiccup didn't want to leave. He knew he'd probably get in trouble with Vali, wondering where he'd gone off to, but he didn't care at the moment. He was determined to get to know this mysterious creature.

Sighing quietly, he ambled over to a lone boulder, which was significantly smaller than the others. Grabbing a twig, he absentmindedly began sketching in the soil. He began drawing random lines, and random objects. Once he grew tired of drawing a certain thing, he moved on to drawing something different. He cleared his canvas by scooting the dirt back into place.

The boy vaguely heard the rustling of leaves behind him. He blinked, discreetly glancing over to see the scaly animal approaching him. It soon stood beside him, staring at his sketching movements in awe. It actually made a purring-like noise!

Hiccup returned his attention to the drawing, since he didn't want to startle or scare the dragon away. But as he was finishing up the sketch of the creature sitting beside him, he heard the thud of pawsteps, and the loud snapping and crackling of a branch being torn from a tree.

Blinking in confusion, he gazed over his shoulder, stunned at what he saw. There the reptile was, holding his branch by the mouth and spontaneously drawing loopy lines all over the ground. Hiccup gave a surprised smile, staring with wide eyes at the sight. Were all dragons this intelligent?

As he was standing back up, he never took notice that he had stepped on one of the lines. An abrupt growling noise startled him, and he turned to see the winged creature baring its teeth at him. Averting his gaze down, he saw he was standing on one of its drawn lines.

He experimentally lifted his foot. The growling stopped. He pressed his foot back on it, causing the growling to grow again. Then, he discovered a method. Hiccup carefully stepped OVER the line, which made the dragon stop growling and tilt its head at him with adorable, emerald-green eyes.

Hiccup smiled understandingly. He carefully began weaving his way through the lines, bypassing several randomly drawn loops and being cautious, as to not step on any of the marks.

Before he knew it, he had reached the end of the random doodles of lines, and felt a warm huff of air behind him. He gasped, slowly turning and facing the ebony animal. It blinked at him owlishly, which fueled Hiccup's wonder.

Hiccup began raising his hand, causing the dragon to emit a growling noise in the back of its throat. Hiccup immediately retaliated, then began again. It still growled. So, at last, he decided a new technique.

The Novice turned his head away from the dragon, and shut his eyes closed. The dragon stared at him curiously, before slowly leaning closer to the boy's hand. Hiccup's hand still hung there, outstretched to the amazing creature, waiting for a response.

And finally, warm scales met his palm. Hiccup slowly opened his eyes, anxiety creeping up. Oh Gods, was it going to hurt him now? Bite his hand off, skin him alive?

It never did, so he raised his head back up, to see the dragon still resting his muzzle on his palm. And finally, it backed away, and reopened its eyes. Its black pupils were dilated, before it shook its head, snorted, and abruptly took off to the opposite side of the cove.

XXX

Once Hiccup returned to camp, he was reminiscing over his most recent discovery. Dragons weren't what they thought they were. Or maybe they were? Maybe it was just that one dragon that hadn't attacked him?

The apprentice lifted his head when he heard Vali's voice. He pivoted on his foot, turning to face his mentor. Vali's black hair was ruffled, and he looked distressed. Hiccup frowned in both confusion and concern, but didn't have time to ask what was wrong, because the Commander had already spoken.

"Finally!" Vali sighed in relief. "There you are. I was searching all over the place for you. Don't scare me like that!" And to Hiccup's utter shock, the Commander pulled him into a tight hug.

The Novice blinked in bewilderment. Why would Vali get so worked up over him vanishing for a couple hours? Wait, maybe it had something to do with his deceased apprentice? He had yet to ask Slayjin about that.

"Novice Slayjin claims he shot down an unknown breed of dragon. We were wondering where you were, in case the beast managed to escape and hunt you down," Vali explained.

Hiccup's eyes widened as the pieces clicked in his mind. Slayjin! HE had been the one to shoot that dragon down! And that's why it couldn't fly! Surprisingly, he actually felt a twinge of anger and pain for the dragon. Why was it so hard to finally see the good in dragons?

The Novice contained his mixed feelings, though. Instead, he settled for a nod, and a feigned curious look. "Really? What happened?" he lied.

"Novice Slayjin's saying he caught an unrecognizable dragon with a bola he carries around. Not many people seem to believe the poor kid, though," the soldier explained.

Hiccup nodded. "Do you believe him?"

Vali sighed. "Honestly, I'm not sure. That rascal is gonna make a great Cadet in just a week, but there's no evidence with his story. Kid might've actually dreamt all of it."

Hiccup nodded once more. "Right. Oh, and um, just wondering," he continued, remembering Gobber's words. "Do you guys happen to have a blacksmith here? Or a forge?"

Vali grinned down at the boy. "Sure thing. I heard from your old blacksmith that you were a great apprentice," he murmured, gesturing his head towards a vacant building that was placed a small distance from the girls' dorms.

Hiccup smiled at the thought of Gobber. He couldn't help but wonder if the guy missed him now. Did Gobber believe he would make it? Did he believe it would be possible for him to morph into a great warrior?

When they reached the blacksmith building, Hiccup took in all the amazing utensils and contraptions in the vicinity. "Wow," he breathed. It was like heaven—or Valhalla—for him. He was always fascinated by inventions and blueprints, along with crafting things. And to know he was standing in the forge of the Guardian army, it was very big to him.

"We've got four blacksmiths, and one apprentice here," Vali began elaborating.

"Woah, five blacksmiths?" Hiccup murmured.

The Commander nodded. "Yes. We need loads of weapons. Although most of our prestigious weapons are in the Weapon Vault. Blacksmiths are also pretty gifted with fixing prosthetics, new inventions, and one of them specializes in armor making."

Hiccup nodded, still staring dreamily at the sight before him. He vaguely heard Vali chuckle, before the man placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm assuming you know what everything here is for?" Hiccup just nodded. "Well, I guess I could put off an hour of training for today. Would you be all right if I went to go deal with some work?"

The Novice instantly relaxed in relief. He could have a chance to make a prosthetic for the crippled dragon he had found! So he nodded yet again.

"Alright, stay safe. Oh, and one of the blacksmiths get here at afternoon, so don't be too scared when someone walks on in," Vali added, and then left the building.

Hiccup sighed, quickly pulling out his sketchbook and getting to work.

XXX


	6. Chapter 6

XXX

CHAPTER SIX – TRAITOR

Another two weeks passed, and it was very eventful. Hiccup managed to sneak a few hours to perfect his invention, and hang out with Toothless.

Toothless was the name he had given his dragon—no, his best friend. Turns out, Toothless was a male. He was actually very playful, adorable, and cute. He enjoyed chasing after the reflections of metal on the ground, along with rolling around in a field of what he called "dragon nip."

Hiccup made the conclusion that all dragons enjoyed doing that. If Toothless, the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself, was able to be playful, what about other dragons?

His invention was the prosthetic tailfin he had created for his companion. After several long hours of working, he had decided it would be controlled by a pedal where he'd put his foot. The way he shifted his foot influenced the way the tailfin moved. It helped Toothless to turn, maneuver, and overall fly. Hiccup was proud of his invention, seeing as it finally returned Toothless' flight.

He was still a little angry at Slayjin for shooting Toothless down. But then again, if he hadn't, he and Toothless would've never met.

The bad news about Slayjin, though, was that he had sprained his ankle during a harsh training session. Olvir had immediately decided to postpone his Cadet ceremony. The poor guy was crushed. Hiccup felt sympathetic for him, of course. Slayjin had been waiting for about two or three extra weeks just to become a Cadet! And he still had to wait more!

Vali had been getting slightly harder on Hiccup. Since the Novice was learning so quickly, Vali had decided to push him even further. The Commander was amazed at how Hiccup had transitioned in such a short amount of time. Had he never taken the boy up as his apprentice, Hiccup would've never been able to have someone give him a chance.

Hiccup was growing closer to the other recruits. He had recently met Sola, the second Lieutenant (second-in-command). She was the same rank as Olvir, though, obviously female. They were both evenly matched to become the next Commander, though, Vali wouldn't be retiring for a while.

The twelve-year-old sighed as he finished slipping on Toothless' saddle. He grinned at his work, proud of how well he had crafted all of Toothless' equipment. The Night Fury nudged his arm, to where Hiccup rubbed the top of his head.

"Alright, Toothless," Hiccup murmured. "Wanna go for an early morning flight?"

True, it was early morning. Hiccup was finding it harder and harder to sneak away to spend time with Toothless. Back on Berk, no one seemed to care where he was. But with the Guardian troops, the people around him seemed to wonder where he was.

The black scaled dragon snorted, nodding his head enthusiastically.

"Alright, let's—"

A twig snapped in the background, causing Toothless' head to shoot up. He let a low growl rumble in his throat, while Hiccup furrowed his eyebrows. "Toothless?" he asked in confusion. He turned to where the Night Fury was looking, gasping at the sight.

There was Sola, her wavy blonde hair framing her pale face. She had her battle axe clutched in her right hand, with her left hand clenched by her side. Her muscles were rigid, and she was looking determined and angry.

"S-Sola!" Hiccup stuttered.

Sola was seething. How dare this boy get the chance to train with Vali, and then betray them all by befriending a dragon! An unfamiliar black one, whom looked dangerous, no less!

Sola hoisted her battle axe higher, looking as though she were about to charge. Hiccup quickly dove in front of Toothless, holding his hands out in a sign of defense.

"Sola, no!" the Novice cried. "Please, just listen!"

The Lieutenant snarled, raising her left hand to clutch at her battle axe with both hands. She twirled it around elegantly, preparing to strike.

"Sola, please!" Hiccup tried again. "I can explain! They're not what we think they are!"

"They've killed hundreds of us!" Sola bellowed with her fiery voice.

"And we've killed thousands of them!" the auburn-haired boy retorted. "Please, Toothless won't hurt you!"

"Toothless?!" the blonde ground out. "Doesn't look very toothless to me!"

"Sola, if Toothless wanted to kill me, he would've done it two weeks ago!"

"So this has been going on for two weeks?!" the higher ranked soldier gasped. "You're a TRAITOR."

"Just—just let me show you!" Hiccup tried again, a lie popping up into his head. "He's actually not very dangerous. I've checked. He's not venomous, or spiked, and has a bad shot limit. If you aren't convinced, you can easily defend yourself." Toothless snorted in disapproval.

Sola narrowed her eyes, weighing her options. She could either agree and let Hiccup show her what he was talking about, or end this now. But did she really want to risk getting Hiccup a life full of punishment? What if he wasn't wrong? What if he was RIGHT?

"Fine."

Hiccup sighed in relief, patting Toothless' head reassuringly. The Night Fury huffed, backing down and lowering his left wing to let Hiccup climb onto his shoulders. Sola watched the whole thing, her interest growing by the second.

Sola hesitantly approached the pair, holding a hand out to Hiccup. He nodded encouragingly, helping her on. The woman felt her heart race as she nervously climbed onto the beast's shoulders, reluctantly wrapping her arms around Hiccup.

Hiccup patted Toothless' head, silently begging the Night Fury to behave. "Okay, Toothless. Slowly."

The Night Fury rumbled disapprovingly. Slow wasn't what he was good at. But nonetheless, he obeyed his rider. He slowly spread his wings out, with Hiccup shifting his foot in the pedal. The prosthetic tailfin flapped open, giving Toothless the ability to fly.

Sola braced herself for whatever would happen, squeezing her eyes shut in fear. Yes, she was a warrior, but she was not prepared to die by a dragon and a twelve year old. What if he was a TRAITOR? What if he DID kill her?

Suddenly, Toothless flapped his wings, and kicked off the ground. Sola tightened her grip on Hiccup, while subconsciously fiddling with the handle of her battle axe.

Hiccup noticed, and abruptly reached back and snatched her battle axe up. "What the—" He tossed it away, to where it was thrown to the ground below them. Sola was about to reach for it, but knew it was hopeless. They were already gaining altitude.

"What the hell?!" Sola exclaimed angrily. Though, she was more fearful than furious.

"You won't need it," the Novice shrugged.

Sola huffed, growling in anger. She wouldn't admit it, but she was actually impressed with Hiccup's tactic. He managed to disarm her before she could even react!

She suddenly gasped as Toothless leveled out, taking them just above the clouds. She smiled in awe, raising a hand to filter through the foggy clouds. Toothless then gradually lowered to the ocean, where the sun was still rising. Fortunately, the three were located where the sun came up, which made Sola even more relaxed.

The beams of light crept over the horizon, while the Night Fury carefully maneuvered lower to the water. Soft, foamy waves swept up against the shores of the island, though, the dragon made sure to stay a safe distance from the soldiers.

Toothless softly descended, tilting his left side downwards. His left wing grazed through the water, splashing a few drops onto Hiccup and Sola. The blonde almost giggled, but stopped herself. She was Sola Maste! She didn't giggle.

The Lieutenant stared over Hiccup's shoulder, though, did not lean towards him. She was not going to show any affection. All she wanted was to get a good look at the beautiful landscape.

Toothless flapped his wings, bringing them back up a few yards above the water's surface. Sola carefully reached a hand down to the ocean. Toothless spotted this in the corner of his eye, and lowered himself so she would touch it.

The bitter cold water splashed over her hand, but she smiled anyway. It was, in a bizarre way, a very peaceful feeling.

"Fine," she sighed reluctantly, sitting back up. "This—" She stopped herself from stuttering. "—is awesome… and I hate to say it, but he's awesome too."

Hiccup smiled in relief, letting out a heavy breath. "Yeah… I know," he murmured lovingly to his dragon. The Night Fury purred, startling Sola. She never knew dragons could PURR. What a strange discovery.

They finally returned to the cove, where Toothless gently met the ground. Sola slid off first, although she was reluctant. Hiccup was surprised when she offered him a hand, and accepted it. He softly hit the grassy ground, rubbing a hand over the dragon's head.

"Are all dragons like this?" Sola thought aloud.

"I think so," Hiccup nodded. "But I don't know why they attack people… it doesn't make any sense."

Sola frowned in thought, before shaking herself from her mind. She turned back to the Novice, sighing. "Commander Vali will be wondering where you are."

Hiccup grumbled at the reminder. "I know."

"And you can't hide—um, Toothless was it? You can't hide Toothless forever," Sola sighed.

The young boy exhaled sharply. "I don't know what I'll do," he confessed.

Sola awkwardly patted his shoulder, unused to showing any signs of affection. "Commander Vali is an open-minded man. He'd be willing to listen to you."

Hiccup blinked in surprise. "You mean I should show him the truth?" Sola nodded with a miniscule smile. "That's probably the best option."

The Lieutenant picked up her forgotten battle axe, giving a tiny grin to Hiccup. "I won't tell anyone, promise," she added.

But as she was turning away, she gave a huff and whirled around. She pointed a finger at him, with a playful glare. "Oh, and throw my weapon away again, I'll make sure the next thing you throw away will be your dignity." And with that, she headed off.

XXX

Hiccup inhaled deeply as he stood on the outskirts of the jungle, staring off into the distance. The ginormous training clearing of the island was laid out in front of him, while he was lost in thought. He vaguely heard some shouts, cries, and the sound of equipment moving or crashing. The other soldiers were training.

The Novice let out a heavy breath, nervously wringing his hands together. He shuffled on his feet awkwardly, waiting for his mentor to arrive.

He thought about Sola's words. It was two days after the flight, and he was ready to confess to Vali. He just hoped it would turn out all right.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Hiccup spotted his mentor strolling towards him. Hiccup cleared his throat nervously, avoiding Vali's gaze.

"Alright, what did you need?" Vali asked.

The Novice fidgeted, choosing his words carefully. "Well… there's something I've been meaning to tell you for the last two weeks," he murmured.

Vali hummed. "Does it have something to do with your mysterious disappearances?" Hiccup nodded mutely. "Alright, feel free to continue," he shrugged.

"You're probably not gonna like it… or at least not at first," the twelve-year-old frowned. "In fact, you might hate me for it."

Vali frowned seriously. "Hiccup, I could never hate you."

Hiccup sighed, then took a deep breath of air into his lungs. He struggled to gain the courage to confess, and mumbled his explanation. "I… trained a mmhmm mhmph mph."

Vali quirked an eyebrow, staring at his apprentice questioningly. "Uh, what?"

The twelve-year-old fiddled with his hands, before coming to a conclusion. He'd show Vali rather than tell him.

"I'll just show you. Follow me," Hiccup murmured.

XXX

By the time they were outside the cove, Hiccup's anxiety was growing. He turned back to face the Commander, who looked curious.

"Could you set all your weapons down out here?" the brunet asked.

Vali hesitated, then hummed quietly and shook off all his weapons. Hiccup blinked at the unique looking sword and dagger.

"Ok, please don't freak out," Hiccup pleaded. "I promise what I show you isn't bad. It's good, actually. You just have to trust me."

The Commander nodded, pondering over his options. Hiccup had trusted him enough to be taken from Berk, and to be trained. Plus, the boy had promised three years of his life to the Guardian Army, maybe even more if he chose to stay. The least he could do was trust Hiccup as well.

"Alright," Vali agreed.

Hiccup breathed out a sigh of relief, before ambling through a gap between two boulders. Vali entered the cove as well, only to have his Novice shield his eyes.

"Close your eyes," Hiccup ordered.

Vali reluctantly obeyed, shutting his eyelids closed and ambling forward. It wasn't that he was nervous. It was that a warrior should always be on guard.

"Toothless, come here, bud," he heard Hiccup call.

Did his apprentice have a pet? A dog, or a horse maybe? Why would he freak out over such a thing?

Suddenly, soft footfalls could be heard. Vali felt Hiccup gently grasp his wrist, and hold it out. He let the boy guide his hand forward, feeling warm puffs of air on his skin. He frowned in confusion.

And then, something smooth and scaly met his palm.

Vali's initial instinct was to snap his eyes open, but he kept his eyes shut for Hiccup's sake. The poor lad was worrying himself over whatever his secret was.

For some odd reason, the Commander felt an adrenaline rush, and a wave of excitement hit him. It was as though he were touching something he'd never touched before. But what could it be? What was scaly, had loud enough footsteps, and—

"Um, okay, Vali," Hiccup interrupted his train of thoughts. "You can open your eyes now. But PLEASE don't freak out."

Vali's eyelids fluttered open, locking onto an astounding and frightening sight before him. A broad snout was pressed against his palm, which was connect to a head and a dragon's body. He gasped quietly, preparing to pull his hand away, before Hiccup placed his own over his'.

"It's okay!" Hiccup insisted.

The beast's eyelids opened slowly, revealing vibrant green eyes. Its black pupils were enlarged, almost looking cute and innocent. But Vali was no fool. This was a dragon, a Night Fury! Yes, he knew the species. He knew lots of information on dragons, and had not once stumbled across a dragon like this. It had to be a Night Fury.

"Hiccup, why on Earth—" He was speechless. Why wasn't the monster attacking him?

"Vali, just hear me out," Hiccup exclaimed. "Dragons aren't what we think they are. They—they're kind, amazing creatures, that can change your life."

"They've attacked us," Vali argued, but kept his cool. "They've killed several of my soldiers, left oblivious families questioning if their loved ones were even still breathing."

"And I know that," the Novice piped up. "But we've killed thousands of them! They—they defend themselves!"

"So why steal?"

Hiccup paused, unsure how to answer that question. He himself had no clue. Why DID the dragons raid humans? Maybe they just needed the food? Or were forced to steal?

"I don't know," Hiccup replied honestly. "But let me show you."

The Night Fury crooned softly, nudging the boy as though to help convince Vali that he meant no harm.

Vali hesitated, taking his palm off of the dragon's snout and narrowing his eyes. Could he trust the two? What if they killed him? No, why would they do that? Hiccup was his apprentice—the one he had dedicated the next three years to. He saw the boy as a son, as his own.

The man finally gave in. "Fine."

XXX

About ten minutes into the flight, Vali had already been beyond amazed. This twelve year old boy just introduced him to a whole new world of dragons. He was immensely impressed. How had a child managed to discover something no one else had?

The Commander gasped at the breathtaking sight. The horizon was fading into hues of crimson, yellow, and pink. The sun was creeping away slowly, vanishing from view. The clouds above them were tinted with the colors of the sky, providing an even more peaceful vibe.

At last, he gave a loud sigh. "I can't believe it," Vali chuckled lightly. "Been alive for over three decades and not once have I even HEARD of such a discovery."

Hiccup smiled in relief. He patted Toothless' head gratefully before he gave a response. "Yeah, thanks," he murmured.

But suddenly, as they were turned to head back to their island, Toothless perked up. Hiccup frowned. "What's wrong, bud?"

The Night Fury banked right, earning a surprised yelp from Hiccup. "Toothless, what's up?"

Vali felt his breath hitch. Maybe Hiccup was wrong. Was the beast about to turn on them? But why wait this long?

Toothless huffed, ear plates pricked forward. A faint vibrating sound filled the air, just barely letting Hiccup and Vali hear it.

"What's that noise?" Vali wondered aloud.

"I don't know."

The ebony scaled dragon glided among the dense clouds, while a couple Monstrous Nightmares appeared from the sidelines. Their vibrant red scales were darkened by the lack of light, and their spines stood straight up, as though they were on edge. Plus, they were all hauling prey.

"Get down!" Hiccup whispered.

Vali ducked behind Hiccup, watching curiously. What was going on?

"I-It looks like… they're hauling in their kill," Hiccup muttered absentmindedly.

Vali kept quiet, trying to figure out what was going on. By glancing to his left, he spotted something peculiar.

It was a sheep. Not just any sheep, but a sheep with a tag on its horn. That could only mean one thing; it was a Viking's.

"Novice Haddock, they must be bringing their prey to their nest," Vali explained quietly.

Hiccup nodded back, eyes narrowed in worry. Why was Toothless bringing them here? Why bring them to the dragon nest? Wasn't that their sacred place? Why reveal it?

Suddenly, a volcanic-like island came into view. Toothless easily maneuvered between the rocks and tunnels, all while the human duo looked bewildered and curious.

The tunnels finally led to a ginormous hole in the volcano. Fog engulfed the hole, concealing whatever was in it. However, the dragons seemed to be dumping all their caught prey down the opening.

"They're not eating any of it," Hiccup gasped.

Suddenly, as Toothless stealthily hid himself behind a boulder, a Gronckle flew forward.

The bulky dragon parted its jaws, letting a small regurgitated fish slide from its tongue. It felt into the depths below, with the Gronckle carelessly scratching a hind leg at its side.

A monstrous roar rang out, startling both Hiccup and Vali. The sound ricocheted off the rocky walls, all around the nest. Hiccup noticed how all of the dragons nearby shrank back, whimpering. The two soldiers held their breath, wondering what creature could have created such a noise.

The Gronckle froze, instantly going rigid. It whimpered, preparing to fly away, until—

A ginormous dragon head, larger than three Monstrous Nightmares, shot up from the gaping hole of the volcano. Toothless, Hiccup, and Vali gasped, recoiling back in fear. The tremendously large head open its mouth, revealing razor sharp teeth, taller than a Viking man. Its mouth enveloped the Gronckle WHOLE, before snapping shut and retreating into its hiding spot.

The nearby dragons roared in warning, quickly flapping their wings to escape the wrath of the humongous dragon. Meanwhile, Hiccup patted Toothless' head. "Get us out of here, Toothless!" The brunet whispered.

The incredibly large dragon perked up, head suddenly sneaking back out from the fog. Realizing they had to get out now, Toothless kicked off from the ground. The beast roared, nostrils widening. It sniffed the air, obviously noticing the scent of humans. It growled loudly, shooting forward to snatch the trio up.

Vali's breath hitched as the beast's head grew closer and closer. He urged the Night Fury below him to go faster, along with Hiccup. The boy shifted his foot, allowing Toothless' ability to fly, and they shot off from the monster pursuing them.

XXX

"I-I get it!" Hiccup's voice exclaimed. He let Toothless land in the cove, with Vali still looking shocked. "It's like a beehive, or something! That's the queen, and she orders the other dragons to bring food to her! THAT'S why they raid humans!"

Vali slid off of Toothless' shoulders, standing beside his apprentice. "Alright, so what do we do?"

Hiccup paced restlessly, running both hands through his hair. He traveled back and forth between the cove, lost in a sea of ideas.

Finally, he halted. With a smirk, he murmured, "I've got an idea… but I doubt anyone will listen to me." As he finished, his smirk fell.

Vali gained his own smirk, stepping forward to place a warm hand on the boy's shoulder. "But they will listen to me, won't they?"

XXX


	7. Chapter 7

XXX

CHAPTER SEVEN – A WARRIOR'S COURAGE

The next morning came quickly. Hiccup had returned to his dorm after planning with Vali, and then drifted off to sleep within a minute or two. They had both agreed to a single idea, and were about to act on it.

The morning was nice. The sky was clear, only a couple little clouds in the blue atmosphere. It was warm and sunny, even though it was still quite early. It was the perfect weather for Vali to make their announcement.

The Novice quickly dressed, knowing that if this plan worked, he was going to need some new armor. But for now, he settled for a white T-shirt, black gripping gloves, brown jeans, and a pair of black boots. As soon as he was finished dressing, he hurried out of the dorms.

Hiccup found himself heading to a large stage on the outer edge of the training clearing. A huge crowd of soldiers were already gathered there, waiting to hear Vali's announcement. The mentioned Commander was currently standing beside Olvir and Sola, discussing something that seemed important.

Hiccup carefully approached the three, not wanting to interrupt their conversation if it were that essential. However, once Vali spotted him, he was instantly waved over.

"There you are," Vali grinned. "I've just explained to Lieutenant Olvir the whole situation. However, it seems Miss Sola already knew about Toothless."

Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah, she was the first to find out."

Olvir then gave a small smile, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Well, I must say, I am very surprised," the man spoke up. "Of course, I never even imagined a world with tame dragons. But if Vali trusts you, I trust you just as much."

"Thanks," the twelve-year-old smiled gratefully.

Vali then glanced around, noticing just how much the crowd had grown. "Alright, seems to me everyone is here," he murmured. Hiccup turned to examine the humongous bystanders, shocked at how many there were. Plus, they all looked lean and fit. Not beefy and bulky like the Vikings he was used to on Berk.

"Novice Hiccup, you go ahead and go fetch Toothless like we planned. Lieutenants Olvir and Sola will be standing behind the stage, where you'll be. When I tell you, you and Toothless can come on out," Vali reminded.

"Got it," Hiccup replied confidently. He loved this feeling; the feeling of courage and fearlessness.

The boy turned and headed off to the cove, letting his mentor begin the announcement.

XXX

"For three-hundred years, man has shed blood from the vicious battles of dragon," Vali's voice boomed. Hiccup had just reached behind the stage, with Toothless listening intently. Sola and Olvir gave him a nod, before turning back to listening to their leader.

"But that ends today. War maidens and men, there's only so far the mind can wander… but a young boy has proven us all wrong. He crossed the boundaries no one has bothered crossing before. He did something that changes all of history. Today, history will be made! Because from this day forward, hundreds of lives, belonging to both dragon and man, will be saved!" Vali called loudly, voice gaining volume and intensity as his speech edged on.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third is the name that will be printed out in all of our minds," Vali continued with a serious expression. Hiccup had never seen him so serious. "Because Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third, is the one who did the unthinkable. War maidens and men, please welcome Toothless… our newest warrior."

Hiccup took a deep breath, before stepping out from behind the stage. Toothless crooned softly, soon following after him.

As soon as the warriors spotted the Night Fury, they either gasped, reached for their weapons, or blinked in shock… or all of the above. A couple confused shouts rang out, startling Hiccup. The Novice shook his head, refocusing his attention on his companion. Smiling gently, he led the way up the stairs of the stage. Toothless climbed up as well, behaving himself.

"This is Toothless," Vali explained with a chuckle as Toothless grinned gummily. "The fearsome Night Fury. Believe it or not, dragons are not vicious creatures. I discovered this myself yesterday, thanks to my amazing apprentice." Hiccup gave a thankful grin. "We've discovered why they raid humans.

"A monstrous dragon Queen, the size of this island, has been holding dragon lives hostage. Forcing the dragons to raid us for food, they must bring it back to their Queen. We have named this creature the Red Death."

In the crowd, Hiccup could spot Slayjin. The elder Novice looked beyond shocked, eyes trained steadily on Toothless. But once Slayjin noticed Hiccup's gaze, he redirected his attention to the auburn-haired boy.

Hiccup gave a nod to Slayjin. And to his utter surprise, the boy nodded back, as a way of saying 'I accept you.'

And that was all Hiccup cared about at that moment. Because Slayjin gave him a chance, just like Vali had. Slayjin was his best friend (next to Toothless) for all the times he had provided advice, training, and humor to cheer the Novice up.

"We will be preparing for war, Guardian troops!" Vali's voice disrupted his thoughts. Hiccup perked up, returning his gaze to his mentor. "I want all my top soldiers to come with Novice Haddock and me to locate your own dragons."

Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say, because a split second later, the crowd started a riot.

XXX

All was well. Vali had successfully convinced his soldiers of the good in dragons, along with Hiccup's help. Toothless was by his side the entire time, thankfully. The Novice wasn't willing to let Toothless roam too far. He still wasn't one-hundred percent sure if his fellow warriors would try to harm the Night Fury.

Slayjin had spewed out so many questions about dragons, Hiccup's mind whirled. Eventually, the other Novice managed to settle down, and greet Toothless. The black dragon actually forgave Slayjin fairly quickly, and took a liking to the muscular blond.

The blacksmiths had already measured all the warriors who had been approved to go to the battle. Then they were to craft the armor, which was made of a strong metal. Sure, it was heavy, but it was much better than risking serious injuries.

Hiccup hadn't directly asked Vali if he was participating, seeing as he assumed he was. After all, he was the one that had started all this commotion. Surely he would be fighting as well?

Vali knew they had to hurry, due to the Red Death's demands. It wouldn't be long before the next raid came. That would be a huge dilemma, since the soldiers didn't want to bring any harm to the dragons. And so, Vali spurred on the troops. He encouraged them to prepare for the battle as soon as possible, so that they could strike quickly.

And within two weeks, they were nearly ready.

The hardest part, in Vali's opinion, was deciding which soldiers would be participating. Of course Sola would come, but Vali had ordered Olvir to stay behind in case an enemy struck. Sola had chosen her party of warriors, and Olvir had chosen his. Though, Olvir's were mainly the less experienced ones.

And then came Hiccup and Slayjin. Olvir immediately protested at the idea of Slayjin going, but with Slayjin's outbursts of rage, he gave in. Olvir knew he was being unfair, but he simply didn't want to risk Slayjin's life. They hadn't even had time to prepare for the boy's Cadet ceremony!

Vali, meanwhile, struggled with the thought of Hiccup coming along. Of course it would be expected that the boy joined in, but what if he lost the Novice? What if he KILLED the twelve-year-old? His own so—no, APPRENTICE. But he knew, no matter what he did, Hiccup would not cave in.

"Fine," Vali had said. "Novice Hiccup Haddock, you are hereby approved to join the Battle of the Red Death."

He choked at the words, almost, when they came out. The poor boy was so young! How many twelve-year-olds had ACTUALLY gone to battle? And how many had actually SURVIVED? But Hiccup had Toothless. That Night Fury wouldn't dare let his rider get injured. And that's what had reassured the Commander.

The majority of the soldiers participating had already chosen their dragon companions. Sola had chosen a fiery, hotheaded Monstrous Nightmare, that she had named Monsula. She had amazingly red scales, with yellow eyes and black patterns. Her underbelly was a cream color, though. Monsula only seemed to obey her rider, and no one else.

Olvir had picked a male teal and dark blue Deadly Nadder, with vivid amber eyes. He had named the Nadder Traylin, after his deceased uncle. Traylin was pretty friendly and social, and loved to play. However, he knew when to be serious and alert.

Slayjin had, surprisingly, chosen a Whispering Death. The Whispering Death had no legs, and slithered instead of walked. It had sharp spines, with clouded red eyes. He had named the dragon Crimson, due to his unique red shade.

And lastly, Vali had chosen a beautiful Flightmare, named Starlit. She had vivid blue scales, with some features outlined in an even brighter blue. She was apprehensive around strangers, and sometimes hostile. However, when she started to grow fond, she was very loyal and friendly.

When the day of the battle came, Hiccup's anxiety was on overdrive. He had never even come close to a fight, minus a couple times when Snotlout tried urging him into an argument. Toothless could sense his rider's nerves, and did his best to calm the child.

The ginormous offense party was preparing for takeoff, saying goodbye to their loved ones. Hiccup glanced over at Slayjin, who was absentmindedly stroking his Whispering Death, Crimson. The boy looked thoughtful, as though pondering seriously over something.

Olvir suddenly came strolling up, Traylin, his Deadly Nadder companion, ambled behind him. His calm amber eyes examined the large view of armored warriors, curiosity sparked in its once-vicious orbs.

"Hello, Novices," Olvir spoke up, coming to a halt in front of Hiccup, Slayjin, and their dragons. The Lieutenant was decked in his own set of armor, in case of an attack on the island. His armor was thicker than most of the Novices', probably because Olvir could carry heavier objects.

"Hey, Lieutenant Olvir," Slayjin murmured.

"Just wanted to give you two a pep talk," Olvir smiled softly. "Don't let your nerves get to ya. The battle will be over before you know it. If you're having a hard time keeping up, do NOT get yourselves killed. Retreat to the backup forces and let the frontlines continue the fight."

Hiccup could not recall one time he had seen Olvir so serious. The twelve-year-old muttered a word of agreement, while Slayjin gave a simple dip of his head.

"I'm serious, Slayjin," Olvir pressed, noticing Slayjin's lack of response. "Don't get yourselves killed. When ya get home, Commander Vali and I have a surprise for you two."

Slayjin finally glanced up, exchanging an interested look with Hiccup. "Alright, we'll try our best," he teased.

Olvir visibly relaxed. "Good." The Lieutenant turned to Crimson, giving a respectful dip of his head to the scaly creature. "Take care of my apprentice, Crimson." The dragon trilled, as though reassuring the man. Olvir then turned to Toothless, giving yet another dip of his head. "You too, Toothless. Watch out for Hiccup."

Toothless warbled, lowering his head to the space between Hiccup's side and arm, pressing through. Hiccup chuckled lightly, lifting his arm to stroke the Night Fury's head.

"I'll see ya guys when ya get back, okay?" Olvir confirmed. "Stay safe."

And he left to rejoin the other defense forces.

XXX

Vali had given his pre-battle speech, as Slayjin dubbed it. The Commander's words got through to every one of the soldiers, encouraging their determination. When Vali had finished his speech, both man and dragon gave shouts of confirmation.

Everything was passing in a blur. Hiccup found himself boarding Toothless, while tugging at his uncomfortable armor. His foot slipped into the pedal, which controlled the tailfin. It slipped open with ease, thanks to the blacksmiths helping to perfect his invention.

The army flew in an almost unrealistic organized way. Vali was in the lead with Starlit, and Sola was right behind him with Monsula. Another soldier, which Hiccup recognized as Tarjan, was parallel to Sola and flying on his gray and lavender Nadder. The rest of the army flared out in a triangular shape, the more experienced warriors in the back. Hiccup and Toothless flew beside Slayjin and Crimson, in a few rows behind the lead.

Hiccup's fingers tightened around Toothless' saddle. His knuckles turned white from the force, and his anxiety spiked. He was worried for not only himself, but for everyone else. He had started all of this, so what if he killed them all? What if the Red Death came out victorious?

Slayjin had playfully guided Crimson to bump into Toothless, making the Night Fury huff. Hiccup perked up, realizing the blond was trying to distract him from his nerves. It worked, and they kept making silent funny faces at one another, as to not disturb the rest of the soldiers.

Hiccup inhaled shakily when Dragon Island came into view. He felt Toothless growl lowly, obviously harboring a grudge against what lied inside the volcano. The Novice pat his head comfortingly, not sure how else to calm the dragon. After all, he was struggling with his emotions just as much as his dragon was.

Vali and Starlit led the way to the pebbly shores of Dragon Island. The pair landed softly, and the rest of the army followed his movements. Sola and Tarjan landed on either side of Vali, and the rest of the huge group began landing as well.

Vali held up a hand to silence his soldiers. Complete quietness reigned over the area, only broken by the whistling of the wind. The Commander kept his palm raised, observing the mountain. Hiccup kept repeating the plan over and over in his head. Until finally, Vali's palm curled into a fist, and the battle began.

The battle plan was somewhat complicated. Phase One consisted of the burrowing dragons, mainly Whispering and Screaming Deaths, forcing their way through the mountain. And then the dragons with the hottest fire, mostly Nadders, would follow after to shoot at the Red Death in its hiding spot. They were trying to provoke the enormous beast.

Phase Two was for the agile and maneuverable dragons. They were to continue provoking and angering the Red Death by shooting. Then they would continue by trying to get the beast up into the air.

Phase Three began after that. The step was for the top flyers. Hiccup would, of course, be participating in this part. Phase Three began with the Red Death getting into the air, and then the fastest dragons would try to confuse it. Once they lured it high enough, they'd dive until the Red Death crashed into the ground.

Hiccup gave a nervous pat to Slayjin's shoulder. He would be participating in Phase One, with Crimson. The older Novice smiled reassuringly, and then soared after the other Whispering and Screaming Deaths.

The crunch of breaking rocks could be heard across the area while the Boulder Class dragons burrowed into the mountain. They easily created tunnels into the volcano, and Hiccup could only watch with a pounding heart as Slayjin and Crimson vanished through the dust.

A distinct Screaming Death roar rang out, signaling for the Deadly Nadders to begin their part. The spiked beauties hurried into the tunnels, already powering up their fire. The twelve year old held his breath worriedly, suddenly feeling lightheaded and faint.

Nothing could be heard for a few moments. The burrowing Boulder Class dragons had already done their part, and the Nadders had already entered the volcano. Now the rest of them had to wait for the Red Death to appear from its home.

The whole fleet of dragons tensed and whimpered as a frightening screech erupted from the mountain. Hiccup winced at the terrible noise, noticing it was so strong that it caused parts of the volcano to crumble. He couldn't pull his eyes away from the spot where Slayjin vanished, though. Why weren't the Phase One members returning yet?

Just as the question invaded his mind, the rumbling of an earthquake began sounding. The ground shook as one large, single crack began building from the bottom of the volcano. And then it spread, and grew, and strengthened until….

ROAAAAAAR!

The Red Death made its presence known with a petrifying roar. The crack in the volcano began splitting the thick rock in half, letting the soldiers know that the Titanwing was about to appear from the mountain.

An abrupt couple of warbles could be heard as a familiar herd of dragons came shooting out from the tunnels. Hiccup let out the biggest sigh of relief he ever had, staring intently at Crimson. Slayjin had his eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he examined the mountain, and then returned his gaze to his fellow soldiers.

"Phase Two!" Vali ordered loudly.

Hiccup watched in awe as the Phase Two fleet neatly flew up, waiting for the Red Death to show itself. The hoard of dragons fluttered their wings majestically, despite the panic every single one of them felt.

Gasps could be heard from each soldier as the Red Death's head bulldozed through the rock. It let out yet another enraged roar, then forced its way out of the volcano by pushing its paw against the inner mountain side.

ROOOOOAAAAAAR!

The Red Death swung its head angrily, sending boulders flying. It stomped through its hole in the volcano, and approached the ginormous group of soldiers and dragons. The size of the beast caused the ground to tremble, only spreading more fear throughout the army.

"Phase Two begin now!" Vali bellowed, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Monstrous Nightmares, Gronckles, Typhoomerangs, and even Boneknappers soared through the air. They quickly approached the Red Death, all charging up their firepower. The first few blows collided with the Red Death's scales, but did not weaken it. If anything, the only effect was the beast's heightened anger.

The Titanwing suddenly inhaled, and then exhaled a terrifying stream of fire. The flames engulfed a few dragons, making Hiccup gasp at the screams. He suddenly felt very sick as he watched the battle. The Red Death began swatting the dragons down, and stepping on some of the riders.

They were already losing.

The Red Death breathed fire once more, managing to set several riders and dragons aflame. The Novice cried out in horror as the riders fell off their dragons, or were burnt alive. Some were even stepped on by the monstrous reptile.

"I can't watch this!" Slayjin suddenly exclaimed. "I have to help!"

"Slayjin, no!" Hiccup protested. "You've already done your part."

"They're DYING, Hiccup!" Slayjin rounded on him. "I can't let them lose their lives while I sit on the sidelines and watch."

Crimson obeyed her rider's orders and suddenly took off into the air. Hiccup cursed under his breath, staring after the duo as they flew closer and closer to the rampaging Red Death.

"Ugh!" the twelve year old groaned. "C'mon, bud. We can't just sit here."

Toothless warbled in agreement, and shot off the gravelly ground. Hiccup vaguely heard Vali calling him back, but chose not to listen. He wasn't willing to watch innocent soldiers get killed by some giant reptile.

Toothless shot a single plasma blast at the Red Death's skull, fire grazing its eyes. The Titanwing roared in pain, snapping its head towards the Night Fury. But Toothless and Hiccup flew swiftly, shooting through the sky and even creating the signature Night Fury whistle.

Hiccup looked around wildly for anyone that needed help. He swallowed his vomit when he realized the only ones that could have used help were already dead. Then he swerved Toothless to the right, surprised to see one rider beginning to catch on fire.

"Hurry, Toothless!" Hiccup urged. They dived towards the man that was quickly catching aflame. The Novice cringed at the pained screams he made.

Toothless quickly snatched the soldier up, and then began surging towards the water. He carefully dropped the soldier in the ocean, and then once the flames were put out, he set him back on the shore. Hiccup exhaled a large breath of relief when he realized the man would be all right, minus a few severe burns.

Hiccup and Toothless continued saving the soldiers that had been caught in the Red Death's line of fire. They would repeat the same process. Grab the victim, put out the fire by dumping the soldier into the water, and then carefully returning them to the shore.

Hiccup knew they wouldn't be able to keep this up. What else could he do, though? He had no clue where Vali was, nor did he know where Slayjin and Sola were. How was he supposed to find them in this frenzy?

The rider and dragon flew magnificently, not a single mistake in the way Toothless' tailfin moved. Hiccup continued scouting out the area in search of his friends, but found no one he recognized well. He cursed under his breath, then let Toothless continue flying the injured soldiers away from the battle.

"Hiccup!" someone shouted. The boy in question perked up, quickly swerving to the left and looking for the one who called his name.

It was Sola who called his name from the ground. Her usual wavy blonde hair was now singed at the tips, most likely from a few flames. Her eyes were wide, and she looked out of breath. Her dragon was nowhere in sight, and the woman looked on the verge of passing out from hyperventilation. Sweat dripped down her forehead, but did not seem to cool her off by much.

"Sola?" Hiccup asked. Toothless swiftly landed on the ground while his rider slipped off and raced towards the Lieutenant.

Sola was gasping for air, looking as though she had just run a mile. As far as Hiccup knew, she probably did.

"Hiccup, it's Crimson," Sola panted. "She's really hurt, and Slayjin might be injured. I didn't get a good look at him before I came running after you."

Hiccup nodded, quickly hopping back onto Toothless. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of Slayjin and Crimson being wounded. Surely Slayjin was all right? And maybe Sola was exaggerating?

"C'mon," the Novice called. The Lieutenant climbed onto the Night Fury, sitting behind Hiccup and wrapping her arms around his waist. The boy felt a slight tingle, but ignored it for now.

"Where are they?" Hiccup asked as they shot into the sky. Toothless began glancing around, most likely to be aware of when to dodge the Red Death's attacks.

"Over there," Sola replied, pointing towards a jutting rock from the mountainside. It was still quite far, and Hiccup had no clue how Sola managed to run after him. Shaking the thoughts away, though, the twelve year old shifted his foot and Toothless' tailfin opened wider. The Night Fury surged forward, flapping his wings harshly to gain speed.

The three spotted Tarjan and his gray-lavender Nadder. The warrior was currently guarding two crumpled figures on the ground, just in case anything came flying at them.

The moment they landed, Hiccup slipped off Toothless and pelted towards the two limp figures. He paid no mind to the battle raging on behind him. He focused directly on the red Whispering Death, looking more crimson than before. And then there was the blond Novice, groaning quietly and clenching his eyes shut.

"Slayjin!" Hiccup gasped. He kneeled down beside the older boy, carefully maneuvering Slayjin over on his back. The dragon rider choked on his own breath at the sight of Slayjin's body. His hair was an unhealthy black-gray shade from the fire, and he had bruises littering whatever skin was exposed. His right wrist was bent at a disturbing angle, and there was blood seeping through his clothes and under his armor.

Hiccup couldn't help himself anymore. He quickly ducked away from the others, leaned over the gravelly ground, and vomited. He choked out whatever he had in him, unused to such a sight. He hated this; the sight of battle. The screams, the blood, the pain, the worry. It was too much. How do soldiers DO this?

When he finished, he scurried back to Slayjin and lifted his armor off. "No!" Sola stopped him.

"Why?" Hiccup asked. "We need to heal him!"

"Hiccup, he's…."

Out of nowhere, a familiar vivid blue Flightmare came racing over. Vali crouched beside Hiccup, Sola, and Slayjin. He sighed quietly, inspecting Slayjin's body.

"Vali, what… is he…?" Hiccup stammered. He couldn't even form words. What would happen now? Slayjin was obviously really hurt. A badly broken wrist, bruises, slightly burnt skin, and some kind of wound under his armor that was making him bleed out.

Vali cursed, quickly slipping off Slayjin's armored helmet. He unlatched the boy's armor surrounding his torso, frowning in disappointment when he realized there were two ginormous claw marks on his chest and stomach.

"He won't make it," Vali whispered. Turning to Hiccup's horrified face, he murmured, "I'm sorry, Hiccup."

"But… he's still alive, right?" Hiccup queried. "We can still save him!"

"Yes, but…."

An abrupt groan came from Slayjin's mangled form. Hiccup quickly leaned over him, meeting his gaze. "Slayjin?" the Novice asked concernedly.

"Olvir?" the boy whispered. "Olvir, I didn't—" His words began slurring together, no longer intelligible. None of them could make out what he was saying. The only thing Hiccup could distinguish was "cadet."

"Novice Slayjin," Vali called to him. "Slayjin, can you hear me?" Slayjin gave a barely noticeable dip of his head. "Okay good. I have a present for you, Slayjin." The blond boy grunted softly, staring up at Vali's brown eyes.

"Commander?" he whispered.

"Yes, Slayjin," Vali murmured. "Did Olvir tell you about us having a surprise for you?" Slayjin hummed almost inaudibly. "Well, here it is." Vali nodded to Sola, who seemed to understand the secret message.

"Gratias ago tibi, mi frater…." Vali began in a language Hiccup did not understand.

"Thank you, my brother," Sola translated.

"Nam circa repugnantem meus et fratres, et sorores…." Vali resumed to Hiccup's awe.

"For fighting alongside my brothers and sisters," Sola repeated.

"Bellum gerere, in novitate vitae ambulemus…." Hiccup noticed how Slayjin was watching them with hazy eyes, looking content and happy.

"To wage a war, upon a new life."

"Ego Slayjin Novitius ad promotionem…." Vali spoke the language fluently, and Hiccup wondered why he had never heard of it around the base before.

"I give Novice Slayjin the promotion," Sola continued translating.

"Infans est fortis…."

"Once a child is strong…."

"Novitius evanuit, loco et quasi bellator…."

"Novice disappeared, and replaced with a warrior," Sola murmured, a sad smile on her face as she noticed Slayjin's look of surprise and happiness.

"Factam fortis fidosque sibi victimam…."

"Made a warrior because of his bravery and sacrifice…."

"Slayjin bellator creavit…."

"Warrior Slayjin is created…."

Vali and Sola went silent for a moment, exchanging discreet glances for a moment. Until finally, Vali continued.

"Valhalla requiem fratrem meum," Vali sighed.

Sola swallowed thickly. "Rest in Valhalla, my brother."

Hiccup heard nothing in that moment. Not the screams in the background, not the growls and the roars of the dragons, not even the snarling of the Red Death. He focused on nothing but Sola and Vali's voices as they spoke directly to Slayjin.

The Novice—no, the WARRIOR, looked beyond satisfied now. The tips of his mouth slid up, forming a little smile. His eyes no longer met his friends', though. The blue began dulling, and the life began vanishing. Hiccup's breathing stopped, and his heartbeat came to a halt when he realized what was happening.

"Goodbye, Soldier Slayjin."

And the newly-made warrior let out his last breath, the light leaving his eyes for the last time.

XXX


	8. Chapter 8

/

Hiccup stared down at the lifeless warrior, who had stilled completely. Not a single twitch or sound came from the boy, and Hiccup refused to acknowledge why. Slayjin was not dead. He was too strong for that… right?

"He's—" Hiccup choked on his own words. Tears fell shamelessly from his contrasted green eyes as he stared down at the limp body of Slayjin.

Behind him, Hiccup could hear the screams and roars of battle. The Red Death was, no doubt, still causing chaos. The Guardians were losing by a milestone.

"Hiccup," Vali murmured from beside him. "Hiccup, Slayjin is—"

"Don't say it," Hiccup whispered. He shut his eyes for a moment, faintly taking notice of Toothless warbling sadly. He let out a shaky breath, fingers digging into the gravel beneath him. Slayjin was dead. DEAD. After all the training he had endured, and all the potential he possessed, he was dead. Gone.

A new level of rage suddenly enveloped Hiccup. One of his best friends—DEAD. Because of that beast behind him, still mercilessly attacking the soldiers and dragons. The boy felt his body tremble with a new emotion. It wasn't fear, concern, or anxiety anymore. It was just anger.

"Hic—"

The boy suddenly stood, purposely avoiding everyone else's gaze, and approached Toothless. The Night Fury rumbled worriedly, causing the Novice to sigh sorrowfully. Hiccup quickly climbed onto the dragon's shoulders, slipping his foot into the pedal.

"Hiccup, wait—!"

He ignored Sola and Vali's desperate cries, and instead shot off the ground with Toothless. The pair surged up into the air with a new frenzy of determination. The twelve-year-old inhaled shakily, tightening his grip on Toothless' saddle. The dragon narrowed his eyes at the Red Death, feeling just as much emotion as his rider.

"C'mon, bud," Hiccup whispered, bending down to reach his dragon's head. He patted the Night Fury's broad head encouragingly. "Let's finish what we started."

With a single shift of the boy's foot, they were soaring across the sky. They flew with grace, moving as a single being. Their movements were linked together, affecting the other equally. A single twitch of either of them caused the other to follow the movement.

Rider and dragon shot through the distance between them and the Red Death. Hiccup narrowed his eyes in anticipation as he felt the familiar rumble below him. Toothless was charging up a plasma blast. And within seconds, the Night Fury had released the ball of energy and fired directly at the Red Death's face.

The ginormous beast roared in anger and pain. All six of its eyes tried following the pair, but simply got a headache. It snarled loudly, stumbling back to its feet. It was then the bystanders took notice of two protruding body parts placed on the creature's sides. Wings.

The Red Death bared its teeth in rage, abruptly lifting its breathtakingly large wings to full expansion. They easily stretched across the majority of the island's width, leaving just a few meters of spare space. Men and women gasped in surprise at the new revelation of the monster's wings.

"Alright, time to see if this guy can fly," Hiccup called to his companion. His best friend growled in agreement, and began diving back down towards the monumental dragon. It curled its lip back, revealing a mouth full of canine teeth.

Another boom and a roar rang out as Toothless released his fury on the Red Death. The titanwing began lifting its wings higher and higher, then snapping them back to the ground. Slowly but surely, the colossal reptile began rising into the air.

The Red Death was sluggish in its flying, making it obvious it hadn't flown in a while. Hiccup and Toothless silently agreed to use this fact to their advantage. Hiccup continued switching positions of the tailfin as they maneuvered between rocky spires. The dragon rider acknowledged his companion's exhaustion, and rubbed his head reassuringly.

Pillars of rock were destroyed as the thick reptilian armor bumped and crashed against sea stack after sea stack. Below them, giant groups of an audience had formed. Had Hiccup been paying more attention, he would have noticed Vali and Sola cheering him on, while sporting worried expressions.

"Okay, Toothless. Time to disappear!" the Novice exclaimed. A snort responded to him as they rose higher into the atmosphere.

The team and their pursuer flew higher and higher into the clouds, vanishing from their audience's sight. When Hiccup and Toothless reached the dark clouds, they quickly ducked away from the path of the Red Death.

By the time the monstrous beast had entered the gloomy clouds, Hiccup and Toothless had disappeared from sight. It growled lowly, snapping its head in every direction.

An abrupt whistle came from the far left, but the Red Death had no time to make a move. A black blur pelted through the eerie atmosphere, firing at the titanwing in all directions. Their target was the same every time, though. The wings.

Eventually the Red Death's temper got the best of it. It roared, producing a frightening sound. The next time it opened its mouth, it was to unleash a blazing inferno of fire. It breathed its fire in all directions, swerving left and right in desperation to find its attacker.

"Watch out!" Hiccup cried as an orange cloud of flames enveloped Toothless' tail. The fireproof scales protected the dragon himself, but the same could not be said about the prosthetic.

Flames engulfed the leathery tailfin replacement, forming tears in the fabric. Hiccup gulped, glancing back to see the Red Death still searching for them.

"Okay, time to see if this works," the Novice grumbled to himself. The duo made a drastic turn, swiftly approaching the Red Death. "C'mon, is that the best you got?" Hiccup bellowed, hoping to provoke the beast more. Toothless gave a snarl and roar to back up Hiccup's taunt.

The substantial monster widened its six eyes, finally gaining sight of the Night Fury and his rider. An intimidating growl rumbled in the back of its throat while it snapped its tremendous jaws towards the pair. Toothless tilted to the right, narrowly avoiding the opponent's grasp.

When Hiccup leaned forward, his best friend got the message. The Night Fury began leaning down, folding his wings to his sides. The two began diving at a surprising speed, with the Red Death gaining on them.

"We're almost there, bud. Don't worry," Hiccup encouraged his mount. The dragon had begun pumping his wings harshly to gain more speed, desperate to get more distance on the beast behind them.

"This is for Slayjin," Hiccup whispered. He then glanced back, forming another idea. "Hold, Toothless." The Night Fury obeyed, despite his confusion. What was his rider planning?

"NOW!" His rider jerked on the left side of the saddle, and Toothless got the message. He quickly turned to face the Red Death, already charging up a plasma blast. With as much power as he could muster, the ebony dragon opened his mouth and shot his blast of energy into their enemy's gaping jaws.

The ground was growing closer and closer to them. Hiccup and Toothless quickly took notice of this, and came to a stop. Smoke trailed behind the remains of the prosthetic as the Night Fury flapped his wings open and narrowly avoided the titanwing's grasp. The Red Death could not save itself, despite its humongous wings. Holes had formed, no doubt from Toothless' firepower.

One last roar escaped the Red Death as it plummeted to its doom. Its fate was sealed as it crashed into the ground, fire already exploding from the collision. Meanwhile, Hiccup and Toothless began navigating their way through the spikes of the Red Death's spine and tail.

They were almost there when Toothless began having trouble controlling his flight. Hiccup gasped, looking over his shoulder to see the prosthetic disintegrating. Eventually the remains simply slipped off, vanishing into the sea of fire below them.

"No," Hiccup gasped. He glanced back in front to come face-to-face with a very scary view. "No!"

The giant clubbed tail of the Red Death struck Hiccup and Toothless, launching Hiccup off the saddle. The boy cried out at the impact, and began losing consciousness. The fiery inferno below him was shooting up, preparing to engulf his entire body.

Toothless howled in a state of shock and concern as his best friend began falling to his doom. Without a single millisecond of hesitation, the dragon made a U-turn.

Toothless flew faster than he ever had in his life as he dove after his rider, reaching towards the boy in a desperate act to save his life. His claws just barely snagged onto his clothes before the fire suddenly shot higher, swallowing the rider and dragon whole.

/

Ashes rained from the sky after the hazardous explosion. The warriors had never been so relieved. The Red Death was dead, thanks to a twelve-year-old Novice and his Night Fury. A single boy and his dragon had managed to take down a dragon the size of a mountain.

A familiar face navigated through the crowd, looking around desperately. His eyes glistened with tears, but he refused to let them fall. He needed proof that Hiccup was alive first.

"Hiccup!" Vali called, head snapping around in all directions. "HICCUP!"

Beside him, Sola began searching as well. The majority of the crowd just stood in place and bowed their heads, doubting that their best pair of warriors had survived the explosion. The dragons seemed to comprehend what was happening, and lowered their heads sadly.

Vali froze when he spotted a familiar black silhouette on the ashy ground. He gasped quietly, sprinting towards the Night Fury, despite his exhaustion.

"Toothless…," he whispered, trailing off expectantly. The dragon didn't open his eyes. "Hiccup…."

Vali's eyes wandered along the ebony dragon's form. His saddle was battered and torn, despite the excellent craftsmanship. Toothless' prosthetic was completely gone, and the connecting rod and rope was destroyed.

The Night Fury gave a pained rumble, shifting to his side. Vali and Sola collapsed to their knees beside each other. Sola shielded her face with her hands, sobbing quietly. Vali stared wide eyed at the dragon, knowing that if he blinked, his tears would fall. And he had to be strong—for Hiccup, and for all the other soldiers.

"I'm sorry," Vali whispered. "I'm so sorry I let you sacrifice yourself, Hiccup."

Although the Commander was relieved Toothless was alive, he could not say the same about Hiccup's demise. The poor twelve-year-old had lived such a short life, and an even shorter life of happiness. The boy didn't even get his surprise….

A curious warble exited Toothless as he slowly opened his eyes. Vivid emerald orbs met Vali's as they stared silently. Vali finally blinked, letting the built up tears stream down his face.

"I'm sorry, Toothless. I'm so sorry, Hiccup," Vali croaked through the lump in his throat.

Toothless' emerald eyes widened just slightly in comprehension. The Night Fury made a small crooning noise, just barely audible to Sola and Vali.

The Night Fury soundlessly glanced down to a spot hidden beneath his curled wings. He slowly began unfolding his wings, revealing a figure that could not ever be replaced—

"Hiccup!" Vali exclaimed. Sola gasped, removing her hands from her face. She held her breath in anticipation, praying to Odin that Hiccup was alive.

Vali grasped onto the bruised boy, placing his head against his chest. All was silent for a moment. Not even Sola's irregular breathing could be heard anymore. Everyone went rigid, waiting and hoping relentlessly….

"H-he's alive!" Vali choked out. "You saved him, Toothless."

Sola could not contain herself as she began weeping tears of joy and relief. Her face was graced with a broad grin as she stared down at Hiccup's face, which had just a couple small wounds.

"Thank you," Vali whispered genuinely as he rested a hand on Toothless' cheek. "Thank you so much." The dragon just rumbled in response.

"But… Vali—" Sola cut herself off with a choking noise as she stared down at Hiccup's left leg.

Oh.

/

When Hiccup opened his eyes after a week of being unconscious, it was to the sound of pawsteps and the crooning noise. He blinked slowly, vision blurred for a moment. When his eyes adjusted, he noticed the familiar dragon perched right beside his bed. He chuckled quietly at his companion's excited face.

"Hey, Toothless," Hiccup murmured softly. He wasn't lying when he said it kind of hurt to talk. Not to mention his body ached all over, and one of his legs sort of… tingled and stung.

Toothless snorted at the boy, ruffling his rider's auburn hair with his warm breaths. The Novice smiled lightly, reaching up both hands to pet his dragon.

"Happy to see you too, bud. How—OWHHHH!" Hiccup cried out as Toothless accidentally stepped hard on his stomach. "Uh… I'm… in my dorm," the boy observed, forgetting about the new pain. "How…?"

Toothless warbled excitedly, hopping around the room. He leapt from beside Hiccup's bed to the windowsill, and then to his roommates' empty beds. The Novice winced when a snapping noise sounded, and he noticed one of his roommates, Kane, just had his bed broken in half.

"Okay—okay! Toothless!" Hiccup huffed as the Night Fury hopped around energetically. "What are you—?" He paused.

The boy blinked silently, feeling that one leg seemed… stranger than the other. It was the one that ached and stung a bit.

With a split second of hesitation, he pulled the covers off of himself. He couldn't even release a gasp.

His left shin was… gone. In its place was a neatly crafted prosthetic, which looked rather intimidating to Hiccup. The metal had an inscription on the wooden half, which was the Guardian Army's insignia. It was a cadet's insignia…. It was a feathery wing.

But Hiccup was just a Novice. Surely he wasn't supposed to have a wing inscription?

The other ranks of the army were different. The Novice had just one feather inscription, and Cadet ranks had one wing, and soldiers had two wings. Lieutenants had two wings and a sword pointing vertically in between. The Commander had all of those insignias, but with a small crown symbol above the rest.

Hiccup inhaled shakily. Toothless plopped down from one of the pillars, resting beside his rider. He crooned quietly, eyes wide and concerned. He leaned down, sniffing at the prosthetic. When he lifted his head to Hiccup's he saw the boy looking emotionless. Toothless once felt the same, and he knew Hiccup was in shock. It would wear off soon, though…

"Guess I should get up now," Hiccup chuckled weakly.

He turned to the edge of the bed, carefully placing his intact foot on the floor first. Then he stood on his new prosthetic, wincing in pain. He took a deep breath, then tried stepping forward.

Hiccup cried out as he prepared to hit the ground, only to have Toothless catch him. "Thanks, Toothless," he murmured.

The twelve-year-old leaned against the dragon for support as they ambled towards the door. After realizing how many stairs they'd have to use, Hiccup simply sat upon Toothless' shoulders and let the Night Fury carry him.

Toothless padded out of the dormitory building, to the outside where the sun beamed down at them. There were soldiers all around like every other day, but some had their dragons with them. Hiccup couldn't help a small smile at the sight.

"It's Hiccup!" someone exclaimed. The voice was followed by others shouting and calling to him and others.

People crowded around Hiccup, but he didn't feel suffocated. He felt… loved. Needed. Important.

Sola and Vali appeared from the crowd, the warriors parting to make room for the pair.

"'Bout time you woke up," was Sola's greeting. "Sleep well?"

Hiccup grinned. "Yes. It's kinda exhausting taking down a mountain-sized dragon," he replied teasingly. The bystanders chuckled.

"Good to see you up, Cadet Hiccup," Vali murmured with a smile.

The boy's eyes went wide. "C-Cadet Hiccup?" he repeated in bewilderment.

"Yes," Vali confirmed. "That insignia on your new leg isn't just for decoration, ya know."

Hiccup's grin widened. "I'm a Cadet now?"

"Of course!" Olvir laughed, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. He looked surprisingly well for someone who lost an apprentice. "You united us with dragons and took down one the size of a mountain. I think that adds up to at least a Cadet rank."

"Awesome," Hiccup breathed.

Vali chuckled. "You're one step closer to becoming a Warrior."

/


End file.
